


Gurren Lagann: The Next Generation

by Keywriter



Category: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24490711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keywriter/pseuds/Keywriter
Summary: Welcome to my fan sequel to the legendary Gurren Lagann! Featuring Brand new original characters, ganmen and  storylines! And some famous and familiar faces will be along the way! Tell me what you guys think and enjoy!
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

Episode 1: Today’s the Day Buddy

A young man laid himself on the edge of the landing deck on a dai-gun as it stood still in a desert wasteland. His grass green spikey hair gently rustled in the slow blowing wind. His attire of a short red vest and grey cargo pants felt relaxing in the heat. Perhaps not having a shirt underneath the vest is what kept his body under cool temperatures. Although he often felt ticklish as the wind blew between his toes on his sandals.

The last time he was tickled as such on that day he slowly opened his eyes to the lightly clouded sky.

“It’s always the same,” he said to himself utterly bored.

“Taishi,” shouted a voice in the ships intercom largely startling the teen. “Pull yourself out of dreamland and head over to the flight deck! We’re moving out!”

“Alright I’m coming,” shouted Taishi.

But after he stood up and taking two steps from where he was laying down, he heard something far away. He turned around listening to what sounded like an electric engine.

Far from his large mobile home the boy saw a moving cloud of sand like it was made by something fast. Taishi pulled out of his pocket a small black telescope. Looking inside he pressed a button that zoomed in on the source of the noise. It was wide and tall as a barn and was long as the deck Taishi stood on. A levitating vessel mainly colored white with golden trims.

It was much fancier than the elderly vessel he stood on. With scratches all over the powder blue coating. After accepting that he could not see through the black windows he re-pocketed his electronic telescope.

“Taishi,” shouted the commanding voice on the intercom again. “Hurry up and get your ass up here!” After twitching Taishi made his way to the flight deck where the rest of the crew was. “Alright listen up you bozos,” said the man in charge. He stood in the center of the room calling his crews attention.

He made certain they saw him in his tribal tattoo chest and baldhead. “After days of scavenging, we’ve finally found everything on our clients list! Now it’s time to head on over to their small town, deliver and get paid!”

“Yeah,” shouted the crew all excited, except Taishi who was bored and reclining in a chair.

“Onward to Kogeki Town,” shouted the captain. With those words, the pilot made their ship begin running with its enormous feet. It turned directions and headed straight for the mountains ahead of it.

Almost coincidentally, they ran past the fancy vehicle Taishi saw earlier. The young feminine passenger inside the far back took notice of the ship as the light from the sunroof turned dark. After it passed and the light returned, she pulled up a holographic screen viewing the back of the ship.

“How rude,” she said with small aggravation.

“The town is right beyond those mountains,” the captain said. “Here we go!” The dai-gun then jumped at the mountains and then hopped to one after another each with a different foot.

But aside from the travel time they were saving the long route would have been more pleasant. The aftershocks in the flight deck left the crew, including Taishi and the captain unsettled.

“Hey captain,” Taishi shouted with an aggressive tone of voice. “You know we wouldn’t have to do this crap if we had a Levi-sphere installed in old Dai-Yunka!”

“What do you think we’re saving up for,” the captain asked, “A long chair? Although I bet that would come in real handy for when you’re slacking off!”

After the captain finished barking, their ship hopped on one last mountain before it used extra strength to land near the village. Taishi followed everyone down to where the crate filled with the requested parts was and hooked it to the back of an ATV. Taishi drove with the large package as the others drove or shared an ATV without extra weight. Taishi followed the others from behind as they drove into the small town. They rode to the small building where the buyer, the town mayor, waited.

While counting the currency to give, an adult woman that was dressed professionally stood next to him with a rather bored face.

“Mind if I ask why you need these parts,” Taishi asked?

“So, we can give it to them,” the elderly mayor said.

“Who’s them,” Taishi’s captain asked as he kept his hand out waiting for what he and his crew were owed?

“The soldiers from Beasterra,” the poise woman answered. Taishi widened his eyes with shock hearing such a confusing answer.

“What,” Taishi began to ask? “What do they need this junk for?”

“Haven’t the slightest idea sonny,” the mayor said. “If we oppose, they stick around and make this place their playground. But if we cooperate not only will they leave immediately but also they say they’ll spare us when they finally ‘start the purge.’”

“And you believe that last part,” asked the captain?

“For the time being,” the mayor said. Taishi’s face became stern after hearing such weakness as he stepped closer to the mayor.

“Why,” Taishi asked? “Why don’t you guys fight back?” The mayor smiled faintly as he pocketed the wad of cash he could keep.

“Well mainly because we don’t have any ganmen,” the mayor said as he began handing over the other wad of cash. “Or anything else that would be useful to fight back with.” The captain gently took the wad and began counting the bills. “Believe me I hate having to cower in fear but in this world everyone does what it takes to survive. You Junker’s should know that all too well.”

“True that,” the captain said as he finished counting. “It’s all here, time to head back.”

“Then you better hurry,” the mayor said. “They’ll be here soon.” The captain and the crew began walking away, except for Taishi. He simply stood there silently with frustration for a moment. While they drove back Taishi began to truly see the small town around them.

Each building was nearly in ruins and under reconstruction.

‘What’s wrong with me,’ Taishi asked himself? ‘How couldn’t I have noticed this on the way in?’ Taishi’s face became even sterner as he tightened his grip and accelerated his ATV’s speed. Once they returned to Dai-Yunka, Taishi once again spoke up to the captain in the docking bay.

“We have to help them,” Taishi said. “There’s no way I can turn my back on this.” The captain sighed as he scratched the back of his scalp.

“Look Taishi,” the captain addressed, “it’s noble of you for helping those in need. But this is beyond us, especially you. Besides you heard the mayor, they’ll be using ganmen. And this big old bucket of bolts barley has any weapons as it does. We wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Taishi then snickered and slightly raised his arm to reveal a digital watch.

“Is that so,” Taishi asked?

He then quickly pressed a button on his watch and a single light had turned on. It revealed a giant white face with razor sharp and almost demonic teeth and closed eyes. It had arms and legs attached all covered in black with yellow trims. In its shins, wrists, collar and hips were pitch black holes with red trims. Taishi then stood in front of the ganmen with his back to it and he continued smirking as he folded his arms facing the captain.

“Then maybe it’s finally time I take this for a real drive,” Taishi said with confidence.

“Oh, come on kid,” the captain said. “You’ve barely used that ganmen in combat, in fact you mostly pilot it for walks.”

“You come on,” yelled Taishi separating his arms and taking a stomp forward. “I’ve fixed and been tuning this ganmen since I was eight and found it in that scrapyard we work in!”

“So that doesn’t mean you can win a fight with it,” the captain replied. “And again, you heard the mayor those ganmen coming are part of an army. Even if you manage to beat them, they’ll catch word and probably send a whole armada on your ass. Do you actually think you can handle that?”

Taishi then stood straight with his head down.

“I don’t know but you don’t either, captain,” he raised his voice. “And we’ll never know if I never try!”

“Why can’t you show this kind of effort with your actual job,” the captain sighed and smiled? Taishi then began to calm down with confusion as he turned to listen to his commander. The captain turned to the back of the bay and walked away. “You go ahead and be a hero, we’ll be rooting for you on the sidelines. That’s where we belong at least.”

Taishi watched his captain walk away as he began to smile too.

“Looks like today’s the day buddy,” Taishi said looking to his ganmen. He then looked to his watch again and pressed the button that turned the lights off that time. “But I need you to wait here a little while longer. A big debut like this needs a grand entrance.”

Taishi hopped on his ATV and drove out at high speed and nearly flew off the deck. After landing he led a trail of dust as he sped toward the town with his head down and his face stern. Dai-Yunka walked behind one of the mountains it jumped on earlier.

“Are you sure we should let him do this,” asked one of the other crewmembers?

“We could never stop that little bastard,” the captain said, “Especially from doing what’s right. Whatever job we’re on, he would always stop to help someone out. He’d make us wait for him while he pulled a cat out of a tree. Don’t get me started on how long it takes to help an old lady cross the street.”

“But this seems like an extreme task for the guy don’t you think,” Asked another crewmember?

“Without a doubt,” the captain said. “But…” Taishi was near the town when he noticed something in the distance slowly flying. “This could be interesting.”

Far but near another entrance, the long hovering vehicle Taishi saw earlier drove toward the town. Her driver contacted her on a projected screen. His thinning hair revealed the shining dome that was his scalp. And around his lips was a thin grey beard.

“Madame,” the driver said, “There’s a town up ahead, I recommend we stop by to recharge the vehicle and ourselves.”

“Sounds good to me,” the passenger said.

After the driver exited the vehicle at the station, he plugged the pump into the socket where the vehicles power could charge. The lady then opened her door and began to step out. She stood tall in the light showing her outfit.

She wore a black tank top, decorated with violet and aquamarine flowers. It was rather tight on her small but distracting chest as it was tucked into her white shorts that covered half her thighs. She laid a yellow visor cap on her short light blue hair to block the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

“Madame Leiko,” the driver said, “I do wish you could let me know when you wish to exit the vehicle so that I may open the door for you.”

“And I told you, Bruce,” the young lady Leiko said pulling out her purse, “That I don’t always need you to do that. I can take care of myself most of the time anyway.”

“As you say Madame,” said Bruce.

“Wait here with the limo, while I grab a snack,” she ordered. “You want anything?”

“Two bottles of water if it’s not too much trouble miss,” Bruce answered.

“No worries,” Leiko said. After browsing and picking through the convenience store, Leiko made her way to the cash register. Laying down two bottles of water, a soda, a wrapped hoagie and two bags of chips.

After the cashier brought up the prices and bagged the items, Leiko was about to pull out the cash from her purse. But all of a sudden, a siren was heard throughout the town.

“They’re here,” The cashier screamed. She then ducked behind the counter then whimpered in a feeble position complete with her sucking her thumb.

“Uh… mam,” Leiko asked?

“It’ll be over soon, it’ll be over soon, it’ll be over soon, it’ll be over soon,” the cashier whispered repeatedly. With her eyebrow arched, Leiko simply laid a dollar bill of a high amount on the counter.

“Keep the change,” Leiko said leaving, “you freak show.” Outside she saw only her driver and their vehicle outside. The people, the other cars on the streets and sidewalks were gone. The windows in the shops and restaurants were sealed or being sealed with metal covers from the inside.

“This can’t be good,” Leiko said.

“Indeed Madame,” Bruce said looking at a mobile touch screen device. He then had it face her and showed her radar with something large approaching the center of the screen.

As Taishi continued to quickly drive down the mountain, he saw what to anyone who saw it for surprising. As the enormous mass slowly flew over the mountain its image became clear.

A Dai-Gun similar to the Dai-Yunka Taishi and his friends traveled in. Except it’s metal was free from scratches and was designed far more sinisterly. Plus, it was flying.

“Whoa…” Taishi said with a smile growing. “Now that’s a Dai-Gun. No stay focused!” Taishi revved up the ATV and sped more quickly toward the town.

In the town, Leiko and Bruce stood atop a building they climbed on with a ladder bolted to it. They looked at the ship through binoculars from her purse and his jacket.

“I recognize the craftsmanship miss,” Bruce said. “There’s no doubt it is from Beasterra.”

“Well,” Leiko grinned storing away her binoculars, “this could be interesting. Come along Bruce, let’s see if we can find a better view.”

Inside the flight deck of the Dai-Gun, a beastman of muscular build, but with an overweight stomach, sat in a command chair. His hair color was hidden from the rooms’ shadows, but it was clearly a classical Mohawk. He looked at the view of the town while grinning with tusks sticking out of his mouth.

“There it is,” said the portly beastman, “Kogeki Town. Honestly hope they don’t have the parts the Wild King asked for. That’ll give us a reason to stay for a while longer.”

“Commander,” said one of the lower beastmen upfront. “The squad is ready for departure.”

“Well,” the commander asked? “Don’t you know what to do by now?”

“Yes sir,” said the beastman, “Setting coordinates.” The dai-guns upper body moved its arms to the deck below it. “Launch!” And the dai-gun threw three ganmen from its deck into the town and they crash-landed in the area of the Mayor’s office building.

Thankfully the Levi-Sphere prevented the limo, its driver and passenger from feeling the aftershock. They pulled over and stepped out once Bruce believed they were close enough. They climbed up a ladder bolted to a building to its roof.

After the smoke cleared, the mayor, Leiko and Bruce saw them, three large ganmen rising from their craters. One was designed as a frog, another as a monkey. And the last one up front was designed as a bull. But despite their intimidating appearance, the mayor kept his upset exposure. The three ganmen walked forward until they stopped directly in front of him.

“It’s all here,” the mayor said looking up towards them. “Please, take the crate and leave.”

The bull gunman raised his arm and snapped his fingers and the frog gunman stepped forward. It opened its enormous mouth and a tongue shot out like a bullet. But it froze when it was a foot away from the crate. From the tip of the tongue a wide beam scanned the crate from top to bottom. After the scan, the frog pulled back its tongue then turned and nodded to the bull.

“Shame,” the bull gunman said. “We were hoping to hang out for a while.” Then, as if the beastmans’ convenience and fate had intertwined, a clang was heard from one of the ganmen. They turned and looked down to see a young boy with his throwing arm up front. In his other hand was a rock.

“Leave us alone you bullies,” the child shouted to them. The monkey ganmen, who received the first rock, gave a wide smile and narrow eyes.

“Well,” a voice from the smiling gunman said, “at least I can destroy something while we’re here.” It completely turned its body and pointed the pistols in its tiny hands under its head for a body at the boy.

“Stupid kid,” Leiko shouted. She began to head back down until Bruce grabbed her shoulder.

“I’m sorry Ms. Leiko,” he said, “but there’s no possibility you’ll make it in time. Besides we can’t risk you being seen.”

As the gunman’s tiny fingers began to pull the triggers, Leiko shut her eyes trying not to see or imagine the horror. That was when two shots were fired and heard throughout the mountains. Leikos’ eyes opened as she ran to see the child, even though it would have been terrifying. But when the smoke cleared from where the guns shot at, there was no gore to be sickened by.

“What,” Leiko asked?

“Where’d the little brat go,” asked the monkey?

“Hey look,” said the frog. The other two, along with Leiko and Bruce, turned to see the boy in the arms of a teenaged boy on an ATV. As Taishi held onto the child, he glared at the three gunman. Then as the child quivered in his arm, Taishi said with a small smile, “Hey little guy, that was a real gutsy move back there.”

“Really,” the boy asked?

“Absolutely,” Taishi said with an even wider smile. “Not everyone can stand up to an enemy like you did. But right now, you should go find shelter. And don’t forget to tell everyone how brave you were today.”

Taishi gently released the child on the ground, who made a big open mouth smile and laughed as he ran off around him. Then, with a serious stern, Taishi looked at the three ganmen. As the three monstrous robots made confused sounds, Leiko looked at the new face.

“Who the hell is that,” she asked?

“Looks like a Junker to me miss,” Bruce deduced. Taishi then jumped off the ATV and stood straight up on the ground with his arms crossed.

“All right you bastards,” Taishi shouted. “I’ve heard about how you use this town for your own amusement! And the little regard you have for these people makes me sick! Now leave and never come back before I take you down!”

A moment after the threatening speech the three ganmen laughed until they finished rolling on the floor. As they laughed, Taishi’s eye gently twitched again. Leiko simply gently palmed her face. The three mechas stood back up to stare down at him.

“And how the hell are you goanna take us down,” the bull one asked? Taishi smiled wide then raised his arm so his watch could be in sight.

“With this,” he said and pressed a button on the watch. Then back at the Dai-Yunka, the ganmen Taishi was boasting about opened its red iris eyes. Then the entire bipedal ship began shaking as the gunman ran out the docking bay and jumped off the sky deck high in the air. The captain and the crew in Dai-Yunka’s flight deck felt the aftershock of the launch.

“I hate it when he does that,” said the captain. The ganmen in the town looked to the sky. Leiko and Bruce did as well, and they all saw the unidentified flying object.

The activated ganmen immediately shot down head first to Taishi’s location. While skydiving, the gunman flipped forward and had the base of its feet face the earth and turned ninety degrees. The gunman impacted the ground on its feet, landing behind Taishi. Taishi then jumped up on the ATV as the gunman opened its mouth and its hatch. Then Taishi jumped high off the ATV and pulled himself in.

“I’m going to rid this town of your sick ways and ugly mugs with this,” Taishi said as the hatch closed. “The strength and symbol of my soul! Behold, the strongest ever, my Godenn!” The ganmen formed a fighting stance at the three enemies.

“Godenn,” Leiko asked?

“An interesting name for a ganmen,” Bruce said silently.

“Sir,” began a beastman back in the enemy flight deck. “Should we intervene?”

“Not yet,” the commander answered. “We were hoping for some exercise today. Start recording, this’ll provide an excellent reminder for those who think they can pull off a rebellion.”

“Sir,” said the secretary, “I suggest we go inside.”

“Ladies first,” said the mayor. And they ran inside the town hall without looking back.

“Well if you’re goanna take away and replace my target practice,” said the voice from the primate gunman. It then began to fire multiple shots at the new gunman. Instead of blocking or dodging however, it ran forward. The bullets proved ineffective as they reflected off of Godenn. And Taishi had his gunman uppercut the mechanical simian in the jaw.  
After back flipping in the air a dozen times its large feet ran back to Godenn.

“Want more,” asked Taishi? “Then here!” He was about to roundhouse kick the enemy until the leg was wrapped in something strange.

“Huh,” asked Taishi and found the source of the wrapping. It was the tongue from the frog gunman. “What the hell?”

After asking rhetorically, the monkey kicked Godenn in the face and used its hand like feet to grab hold of the top of its head. After stumbling on one foot, Taishi struggled to Keep Godenn standing.

“Damn it,” shouted Taishi. The pilot of the frog began to pull back on its tongue and Godenn along with it. As he was being dragged, Taishi tried to reach the monkey to pull it off. But the gunman humorously jumped up and down on Godenn. The impacts made it difficult for Taishi to use the controls while the monkeys’ pilot laughed as it continued jumping on Godenn’s.

“Knock it off you bastards,” Taishi shouted.

And Godenn’s leg with the tongue wrapped around it was lifted straight to the sky, pulling the frog a smidge. Then Godenn slammed its foot back on the ground, shaking almost everything. Shifting weight into the planted leg, it began to rise back up and Taishi planted its other foot shaking almost everything again. While Taishi had his ganmen stand back up, the monkey on Godenn’s face began losing balance as it lost hold of its guns. Godenn pulled back both arms, tightened its fists and slammed them into the monkey squishing its outer frame.

“Oh my,” said Bruce.

With the main body completely crushed with fist marks imprinted at the sides it released Godenn. And then Godenn grabbed hold of the ganmen in mid fall and threw it straight at the frog. The frog saw the defeated ganmen being thrown at it. But to prevent damage, it deflected the projectile mecha-monkey.

“All right that does it,” the frog said. “Full reverse!” And Godenn was on its back again being dragged by the leg towards the frog at a more accelerated pace.

“Oh, come on this again,” Taishi asked with agitation?

“Oh,” the frog began to retort, “you’d like something different, would you?” The pilot stopped the retraction of the tongue, but not before pulling Godenn into the air with a rapid spin. Suddenly, standing in the middle of Kogeki Town was a pink tornado with a black and white tip with a hint of gold.

Back on the flight deck dai-gun the frog mech came from, the beastmen inside were laughing at the sight of the battle.

“Classic,” the commander said still laughing.

There was a different reaction to the fight however aboard the Dai-Yunka. The captain and his remaining crew looked at the screen that projected the fight with looks of shame and disgust.

“So, after he dies,” said one of the crew members, “are we going to pretend that we never knew him?”

“Yeah,” the captain answered. “We’ll probably skip the viewing and attend his burial from a distance. Maybe sneak into the wake to grab some free grub.” Inside Godenn, Taishi struggled against the velocity to hold onto the controls.

“Damn it,” Taishi said. Suddenly a screen popped up and displayed Godenn grabbed leg with a red background. From what he could tell, Godenn’s knee was coming apart. “Crap, already?” It was true, Godenn had sparks flying out of its knee, soon it would break off and Taishi and Godenn will be sent flying far away.

“Come on Godenn, we can do this!”

Taishi roared as he had Godenn bend its leg and pull up to face the frog below. Sparks stopped flying from the knee as it was instantly engulfed by a swirling green flame that quickly dispersed.

“You punks think I’ll allow myself to be beaten by being thrown around like a sack of garbage,” Taishi shouted? From the opposite side of the damaging leg, he pulled back Godenn’s arm. After tightening a fist, Godenn’s pilot shouted to the heavens, “Just who the hell do you think I am?”

Godenn then punched the air towards the frog and from the hole in its wrist; a drill emerged and shot straight at the frog ganmen. This new weapon continued toward its target to no end, as it seemed to have an unlimited extension.

“What the,” the frog’s pilot began, but was interrupted when the drill made impact. Godenn’s weapon had gone directly inside the ganmens mouth, without, somehow, killing the pilot. Losing its grip on the controls, the tongue finally released Godenn’s leg.

“What the hell,” the frogs’ pilot finished asking? Losing its grip on the controls, the tongue finally released Godenn’s leg. In an instant, the tornado ceased spinning, allowing the audience to see more.

“What is that,” Leiko asked as she fixed her hair from the turbine wind ignoring the hat she lost. Bruce pulled out and looked at his binoculars again to further examine the long pole like weapon. He had noticed two lines that were swirling around it from the tip to its hole.

“Hmm… It appears to be a…”

“Godenn,” Taishi cried out, “spin on!” And the weapon began to spin at a rapid speed instantaneously.

“I knew it,” Bruce said.

“Impossible,” shouted the commander on the beastman dai-gun. “Is that…?”

“A drill,” Leiko asked in shock?

The drill the arm held out, toward the mechanical amphibian was then pulling down Godenn. While being pulled in, Godenn pulled its spare arm behind its back.

“Grah,” Taishi cried. Within range Godenn slammed his fist on the top of the enemy ganmen. Godenn then stood up dynamically while finishing to retract the long drill.

Godenn then bent down grabbed and lifted the crushed ganmen to the sky and threw it at the smashed monkey. Taishi had his ganmen run at full speed and jump with as much force. It rose to the sky until the audience saw it as the tiniest dot in the sky. Once more Godenn was skydiving, but with a pilot aiming at the downed enemies. Its hands interlocked with a fierce grip and were pulled above the head.

While falling in that posture, Taishi roared out a battle cry heard all throughout the mountains. He almost maxed out the speakers in the dai-guns watching. The beastmen took notice and began to panic. But their struggling was pointless as Godenn slammed down its joined fist. The attack clearly hit a serious vital point causing both ganmen to explode, incasing the victor.

But Godenn easily walked out of the flames non-charred.

“Okay that was kind of cool,” Leiko said. Taishi took a long and relaxing exhales as he began working up a sweat keeping focused.

“How dare you make a fool out of us,” shouted the bull ganmen pilot. Taishi tried to see the last enemy, but it was too late. The last Ganmen planted its feet on Godenn’s back as a double kick. And it continued to ramble on while continuing to land blow after blow on the downed wannabe hero.

“Do you have any idea how disrespectful you’re being? To us, our commander, our general, our king?” The last hit made Godenn roll backwards ridiculously. But before property damage could be impacted, Taishi had Godenn grab hold of the ground. He planted its feet as it continued slowing down until it stopped when the tip of Godenn’s heel touched the wall of a building.

“Whew,” said Taishi, relieved that he did not make anyone lose his or her home or business. “Huh,” he asked when he heard footsteps nearing him? Seeing the bull ganmen that was knocking him around, he growled and began his own charge.

Taishi gave yet another battle cry and emerging from the holes above Godenn’s face were three long drills. These drills, however, did have a size limit. After they finished rising to the sky, the drills shot down towards the bull. They impaled its back foot before it could take another running step. The last two punctured its hands.

With one last roar from its pilot, Godenn jumped as high as a house at the bull while pulling its arm back and made a fist. Godenn unleashed a punch shooting straight through the ganmens’ teeth and back. The beastman inside was knocked out of his mecha and was sent across the town square. Godenn took the dead ganmen off its arm.

“To hell with your Wild King,” Taishi said.

“Okay,” began the Captain back on the Dai-Yunka, “that was badass.”

The beastman was frozen with fear, defeated and without a ganmen or any backup. All he could do was stare at the enemy ganmen approach him one step at a time. When Godenn had finished walking, it bent over and reached out. The beastman was more afraid than ever as it tried to run away. But it was no use, as he was in the enormous palms of Godenn.

“Hey there little fella,” Taishi mocked. “I think it’s time for you to go home.” He then had Godenn gently wrap its fingers around the beastman without crushing him. “And tell whoever’s in charge up there, that they have to deal with me before this town.” Godenn spread its legs, wound up it arm for the pitch and threw the beastman back to the Dai-Gun in the sky.

Screaming all the way, the thrown beastman face planted on the flight decks windshield for the commander to see.

“Commander,” the defeated beastman said with a stutter, “I… I have a message from…” Before he could finish delivering, a gunshot was heard as the glass was made a hole in it while the disgrace fell after impact.

“Message received,” the commander said holding the small shotgun with smoke rising from the barrel. As he began to store the execution weapon away, he began to issue an order. “Prepare my…” And he noticed a change in the lighting and saw that it was sunset. The commander growled with frustration.

“Very well,” the commander accepted, “turn the ship around and land somewhere close that keeps us out of sight. I’ll resolve this issue tomorrow.”

As he looked at the back of the ship flying further away, Taishi was taking long and slow breaths as the exhaustion took its toll.

“Not a bad first day,” he said with a smile, “huh buddy?” Suddenly his exhaustion was forgotten when he heard a sound outside and it felt rather familiar to him. He opened the hatch and stepped into the light. And it was as he thought, it was a small crowd of the towns’ civilians clapping and cheering.

And little by little, the whole village joined the crowd and applauded his victory. Even the mayor and his lady assistant took front row for appreciation. Instead of clapping however, he was signaling the young pilot to come over. Taishi hopped down from Godenn and walked towards the mayor.

“Thank you, my boy,” said the mayor as he shook his hand.

“Oh well I…” Taishi began to say. He looked above the mayor to see the people had stopped cheering and were smiling gratefully. He then slightly looked up to see the retreating Dai-Gun and realized what he needed to say. “Don’t thank me yet! They’ll be back tomorrow for payback!

“And if I’m going to stand a better chance to defend your town, I’m goanna need your guys’ help.” This made the townsfolk act more concerned and worried, even the mayor. “I don’t need much. All I need is someone to help me piece that ganmen over there back together and a willing volunteer for its new pilot. For now, though, making it work again will be our first priority.”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, all I know is that it’ll be different than today. And I won’t be able to do it alone, so will you help me help you?”

There was no straight answer, only mumbling among the crowd. From where he was standing, it seemed that he might have had to take on tomorrow’s battle. Until…

“I’m in!” They all turned to the direction of the feminine voice. They all had yet to learn her name, but Leiko stood tall with Bruce behind her and having a face of determination. There was murmuring in the crowd again. “I’m not from around here, but I can’t stand you people allowing terrorists to walk all over you and your town!” Everyone was awestruck by the strangers’ confrontation; even Taishi did nothing but stare at her.

“And come on,” she continued. “There was a third grader earlier that showed more courage than any of us did today!” Then making his way through the crowd was that little boy that threw rocks at the ganmen.

“Yeah,” the kid shouted! “I’m not afraid to fight those jerks! So why are you sissy’s?” After those words, although most stayed concerned, some of the men in the crowd became ashamed. That was when it was the mayors’ turn to speak up.

“Well, you all heard the youngsters,” the elder called out. “Get that pile of scrap working again! Where’s a blasted mechanic when you need one?”

“Right here Mr. Mayor,” said someone coming out of the crowd. It was a group of men wearing matching coveralls with individual nametags. And one by one more mechanics wearing different sets of coveralls and nametags appeared from the crowd.

And Taishi finally smiled, knowing that he had everyone’s support.

“Alright then,” he shouted! “Pick up any parts you can find from that ganmen! Then round up your tow trucks to take it to the nearest garage, doesn’t matter if it’s the best or not!” And all the mechanics in town scrambled around the battlefield.

As they looked for parts as ordered, Taishi felt someone tugging on his pants. He looked to see it was the boy he saved.

“Do you,” the boy began saying but hesitated. “Do you think I can…” and he looked to the bull ganmen as Taishi realized what he was asking.

“Sorry kid,” Taishi apologized, “but bravery doesn’t mean you’re ready to help out like that.”

“I figured,” the kid said bowing his head.

“Besides,” said another voice out of the blue, “it takes a real man to pilot a mecha like that!” Taishi turned to see the volunteer and was surprised to recognize the shinning bald scalp.

“Captain,” Taishi said. “You’re staying?”

“Well after seeing what you can do,” the captain began to answer as he walked up to Taishi, “the sidelines got boring really quick. But while we’re taking care of business like this, forget about all that ‘captain’ nonsense. Or did you forget that the name’s Kinji?”

“As if I could forget my own boss,” Taishi grinned. They high fived and fiercely held hand on contact. “Hey, wait… the name’s…” Taishi then realized there was a name he did not know. Meanwhile, Leiko and Bruce were discussing their own situation.

“Are you certain it’s wise to stay Madame,” asked Bruce?

“Wise, no,” answered Leiko. “But I can’t turn my back on this. Let’s go back to the limo Bruce. It’s more than comfortable enough for us to sleep in.”

“As you wish Madame,” Bruce said rather upset.

“Wait,” Taishi shouted. They turned around to see it was the hero of the day running to them. “Thank you. I would’ve lost their trust if it weren’t for you.”

“No problem,” she replied. “And don’t worry I’ll stick around to help you out in an even bigger way.”

“I look forward to it,” Taishi said. They were beginning to turn around when he still needed information. “Wait,” they stopped and looked at him. “I never got your name.”

“Leiko,” she answered with a bright smile, “my name is Leiko.”

“Leiko,” Taishi repeated, “that’s a nice name. I’m Taishi.” That was when she walked toward him and held her hand out.

“Well Taishi,” Leiko addressed, “I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

“Same here,” Taishi said accepting her handshake, “Leiko.”


	2. Where'd You Get A Ganmen Like That?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Godenn is pronounced; Go-den

The bald captain of the ship Dai-Yunka, Kinji, was sweating raindrops as he sat in a ganmen cockpit. All around his monitors was a dry flat and cracked desert with mountains in the distance. Surrounding him were piles of broken mecha bodies. And in his line of sight was one final ganmen. It was ghost white with a long-pointed snout, sharp teeth and horns on its head.

Holding onto some sort of baton, it charged at Kinji with a loud cry ready to whack him with it. The enemy swung down on him, but he moved his controls to successfully block and push it aside. Now with his opponent wide open, Kinji gave out his own cry. And he right crossed the ganmen all the way through its teeth, and then he pulled back and delivered it a solid left uppercut. While falling, it lost its grip on the weapon, which Kinji grabbed.

And with the newly acquired weapon, Kinji jumped, had the baton point down and held it with both hands. Kinji pierced it all the way through the enemy and it instantly exploded.

“Yeah,” Kinji said practically out of breath. Instantly after, all the monitors in the cockpit went black. The front screen then displayed, Combat Grade: 90%. The ceiling above him slid opened to the starry night sky and Taishi.

“Another good job Kinji,” Taishi said as he reached his arm out. Kinji took his hand and as he was pulled out, he felt he was being praised even further.

“Yeah you didn’t do so bad,” Leiko said seeing the man climb out of her enormous white transport.

“Indeed,” Bruce began, “No ganmen experience and yet after two hours in a simulator he’s nearly become a trained general.”

“Well,” Kinji said as he hopped down to the ground, “hopefully it’ll be enough for tomorrow.”

“Well why don’t you go get some rest man,” offered Taishi, “We’re all waking up before sunrise.”

“Yeah that’s probably a good idea,” Kinji said stretching. “I need to set my alarm anyway.” And he walked away waving goodbye.

“He certainly sweat an awful lot during his training,” Bruce said looking down in the sunroof. “I shall tidy up before we turn in for the night Miss Leiko.” He pulled out a yellow sponge with a smiley face, with buckteeth and a long nose, and dived on in.

“Thanks Bruce,” Leiko said then turned to Taishi. “So… why don’t we check on the repairs for the ganmen?”

“Sure,” Taishi answered. And they walked on down to the auto repair shop, where the mechas were being fixed. There they were, outside since they were too big to fit inside the garage. The bull ganmen was shinned upon by light posts and had mechanics in front of it surrounding a computer.

Taishi and Leiko were rather amazed at their handiwork on the bull-designed mecha. Not a single hole that was made from the drills or the punch could be seen through.

“Wow,” Taishi said, “It looks as if I never laid a finger on it.”

“Same goes for yours,” A stranger said, out of the crowd of mechanics. He was wearing a bright grey coverall and stood proudly with orange goggles and multicolored dreadlocks. He turned back on the light posts surrounding the standing Godenn.

Taishi smiled greatly as he opened his mouth with the loudest inhale and showed stars in his eyes. He almost squealed as he ran towards his own beloved ganmen. The scratches and dirt stains were gone, and the light reflected off its entire body.

“It’s beautiful,” Taishi almost cried. “it’s so clean and did you guys wax?”

“You bet,” said the presenter. “But before the wax we found out you used normal paint on the poor bastard. So, we had it detailed in the same colors.”

“Thank you so much,” Taishi shouted. “I really appreciate what you’ve done for my Godenn!”

“The name’s Reo,” the painter said. “And if you want to thank anyone it should be those two over there.” They all looked to the bull ganmens station where the rest of the mechanics were. But Reo only called out two of them. “Yo, Micah, Perry, come show the hero your handy work!”

The two Reo called out to came over with smiles. One rolled over in a spinning chair that was at a table with computers. But he was not wearing coveralls like the other mechanics. Instead he wore a blue, buttoned vest over a white, black-buttoned shirt. And skinny jeans, the man was glistening with computer programming.

The other did have a coverall on, but it was pitch black, and the nametag stitched to it was, Micah. His hair was thin and pure red, complete with a goatee.

“These guys did all the real handy work,” Reo said.

“Indeed,” said the geek, “My name is Perry and your computer system was beyond ancient. It’s as if they were made before the Dai-Gurren Revolution.”

“Yeah same goes for the innards,” said the other mechanic, “I’m Micah, good to meet you. They’re not the latest parts but we were able to install new hydraulics for better performance.”

“You guys did all that in two hours,” Leiko asked?

“Yep,” Reo answered. “Normally it takes longer but with all the shops in town together… well you know how that saying goes.”

“That’s awesome,” Taishi said approaching the mechanic trio. “I don’t know how to thank you guys!”

“Perhaps, as a thank you,” Perry began, “you could give those harassers tomorrow a… ‘Hoopla,’ I believe it is.”

“You’re probably thinking of a ‘whooping’,” Micah corrected.

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Taishi said looking up to Godenn with grinning confidence. He kept smiling until he heard a chime from below; he pulled out the source as a touch screen mobile phone. Taishi read the screen and smiled small out of embarrassment. “Hey Reo…”

“What’s up,” Reo answered?

“My friend has a…” Taishi hesitated to finish with embarrassment, “request after repairs are done on that other ganmen.” He shows the text to Reo, who laughs straight to the heavens after reading.

“Tell him it’s no trouble and it’ll be done in thirty if he wants to see it before the attack tomorrow.” Reo then held up a spray gun and shot two mists of light blue paint in the air. And he ran off to the other ganmen and took Perry and Micah with. They left right on time, for Taishi’s stomach began to growl.

Taishi blushed again at the sound and feeling as he gently laid a hand on his stomach and awkwardly smiled at Leiko.

“No worries,” Leiko giggled, “I could use a bite too.” And they began wandering the empty streets for a restaurant. “Hey, Taishi.”

“What’s up,” Taishi asked? “You spot a good place?”

“No, I was actually wondering,” Leiko answered, “Where’d you get a ganmen like that? Not that many can produce drills.”

“Well actually,” Taishi began, “I found it.”

“Found it,” Leiko responded? She made a funny looking face of confusion and asked, “Are you kidding me?”

“No, it’s true, I actually found it,” Taishi said. “You see, I’ve lived and worked in the junkyard since I was seven. Kinji and the others would take me on, ‘field trips,’ as Kinji would say. Whenever I wasn’t out with them selling and scavenging parts, I’d be sorting scrap metal. They even taught me how to operate the crane for the big ‘products.’

“And it was during that job and with that crane that led me to the most amazing find a year after I started. I dropped something heavy on top of a pile and it completely avalanched on me. I broke out of the crane during the collapse. And there it was, a pitch-black two-face ganmen. Razor sharp teeth on its body face, and a head with its scalp popped off!”

“So that’s how it happened,” Leiko asked? “You called dibs on it?”

“I wish that was the whole story,” Taishi said. “See, everything in the junkyard belongs to our boss, so I had to ask him first. Actually, I was pretty pathetic about it looking back. Kinji said it was gutsy of me to ask for something after wreaking the crane. But it was the groveling and begging that I now feel embarrassed about.

“Eventually he agreed, but any of the repairs made with anything used in the yard would come out of my paycheck. And so, I started making repairs the next day. Well the day after the next day, I first had to dig out the crane all on my own.”

“Oh man that’s brutal,” Leiko laughed. “Last time I made a mess like that all my old man did was confiscate my plasma. But wait, you said Godenn had a head.”

“Yeah, it…” Taishi began but his stomach growled again, it came to him in quite a shock as he covered his belly and bent over. “Okay, now it’s starting to hurt.” They finally picked out a tasty fast food joint with outside seating. Taishi had quickly eaten all his food while Leiko was still eating rather slowly.

“Oh yeah,” Taishi said overly relieved. “A five-patty cheese burger with extra-large fries was all I needed.”

“Was it now,” Leiko asked with sarcasm? “So anyway, about your ganmens old head…”

“Right anyway,” Taishi continued, “the head had the cockpit inside. After I started up the computer system, I found the data for its schematics and like I said it already had drills as weapons. Then I went and figured out the problems it had. The first issue was the power source that ran on something fierce.

“Moving one foot in front of the other alone needed an entire power plant. I didn’t think I needed something like that, but the best generator I could find couldn’t power a two-face ganmen. So, I saved and stored the data, removed the head and installed a new cockpit in the body after changing the generator. That was an entire three months’ worth of payment. But after I took the head off, I didn’t think it looked as well as before.

“So, I kept on customizing it, repaired any parts I had to use, until I truly saw it as my own. And Godenn and I have been together ever since.”

“Wow,” Leiko said. “Well it’s no wonder why it can produce drills. It’s an old model with different parts.”

“Why are you interested in the drills so much Leiko,” Taishi asked?

“Oh uh…” Leiko began. “Well, you’ll see for yourself in the fight tomorrow.” And she gave him a wink and a smile.

“Okay,” Taishi said as he blushed from her expression.

“Well, I should head back to my limo and rest up for tomorrow,” Leiko saying her goodbyes for the night.

“Oh okay,” Taishi said as she walked away, “good night.”

“And Taishi,” Leiko said as she stopped.

“Yeah,” he responded. She turned her head to look at him with a small blush.

“I thought it was brave of you for what you did for these people today,” Leiko smiled. He looked into her eyes as she said that and blushed far more than she was.

“Uh…” Taishi began, “Th-thanks.” And he watched her walk away waving goodbye while facing forward. All Taishi did was sit there at his table and watch her.

He did not turn his face until he heard small laughter when he changed his line of sight and saw that it was a table of two older couples. It was not hard for him to know they were laughing at him and why. They only made him blush even redder. Trying to mask his embarrassment, he burrowed his eyebrows and stomped away.

“I should find a place to crash anyway,” Taishi said to himself, still blushing and scowling. He kept stomping away until he made a realization that made his face cease burning red. “Wait a sec,” he said, and he stood up, looked to the sky with a smile and snapped his fingers. “Where else am I goanna sleep?” And Taishi had made his way in front of Godenn yet again.

He pressed the button on his watch to open the hatch. Once he sat down, he felt something new about the insides.

“Wow they even upgraded my seat,” Taishi said, “it’s much softer now. That was sure nice of those guys.” Taishi laid back, closed his eyes and the hatch. “Rest up partner, it’s another big day tomorrow.”

And when tomorrow came, before sunrise as scheduled, Taishi was still in Godenn’s cockpit, asleep and snoring. Even with the ganmens speakers off it could be heard outside. Specifically, by Leiko, her servant Bruce and Kinji.

“Typical,” Kinji said, “When everyone else is ready he’s the one who’s still slacking off.” He then bent over to pick up rocks that were below him. One by one the bald man chucked the rocks at Godenn’s teeth while calling out to the slacker. “Come on kid! How many times do I have to tell you… to get your head out of dreamland?”

When the hatch finally opened and Taishi began stepping out, Kinji threw one last rock.

“Alright I’m OW,” Taishi cried as the last rock felt like a punch to his forehead. “What the hell you bald bastard?”

“I’ll tell you the hell,” Kinji responded, “everyone else is ready to fight but you!”

“Well that doesn’t mean you can go throw rocks at me!”

“How else am I supposed to wake you up? I can’t shake you out of your bed back on Dai-Yunka!”

“Huh,” Taishi said no longer angry. He hopped off and landed his two feet on the ground and stood up straight. “Hey Kinji, that reminds me, does the boss know that we’re doing?”

“Uh, not exactly,” Kinji answered acting more nervous than mad now. “I told him we were staying in town for a couple days before coming back. Of course, we’re not allowed to spend the payment for the job the Mayor hired us for.”

“Okay but,” Taishi began asking again, “Where’s Dai-Yunka? Is it still up in the mountains?”

“Actually no,” Kinji answered. “I sent the crew off to New Gurren City.”

“Seriously,” Taishi asked, “why?”

“Well I have a friend in their military. So hopefully we’ll get some back up later.”

That was when a light was illuminated behind Kinji, Leiko and Bruce. Taishi noticed it as the sun rose at the horizon in his sight.

“Well I hope they come back soon,” Taishi said. “It’s show time.” And as the sun rose higher, the enemy dai-gun from the day before flew closer.

“You should head on in your new ganmen,” Taishi said grinning. “Have you given it a name yet?”

“You bet,” Kinji yelled running to the side. He stopped and slid on the ground in front of the newly repaired and remade mech. The bull was now detailed with a light blue coating. After opening its mouth and hatch, Kinji jumped right in and made the mecha strike a pose. “It’s time to show off, my Akanbō!”

“I should get ready too,” Leiko giggled.

“Ms. Leiko…” Bruce began.

“I know Bruce,” Leiko continued for her butler as she rolled her eyes. “Keep it away from the battle field unless absolutely necessary.”

“Wait,” Taishi chimed in, “what are you guys talking about?”

“Miss Leiko is not to pilot her mecha into the battlefield until the situation becomes the utmost dire,” Bruce answered.

“What,” Taishi cried? “You have a ganmen too?” He rapidly turned his head left and right while babbling as he looked. “Where?”

“Oh, you’ll find out,” Leiko winked, “if you’re in enough trouble.”

“Taishi,” Kinji began yelling again. “What have I told you about focusing on the job? Quit talking to your girlfriend and prepare for battle!” The two teenagers then stopped looking at each other and gave their attention to the nagging bull while blushing.

“I’m not his girlfriend you ass,” Leiko shouted. “Just who the hell do you think you are?” Taishi went back inside Godenn, closed the hatch and turned on the power.

“That jerk,” Taishi muttered, still blushing.

On the enemy battleship, still approaching Kogeki Town, the commander with tusks sat silently with folded arms. But he was not sitting at the ships flight deck like before. It was a small dark room with so little could be seen.

“Commander,” said a lesser beastman that appeared on a small screen on the side. “We’re approaching the drop point!”

“Good,” the commander shouted. “Open the door!”

“Yes sir,” the lesser beastman said and hung up.

As the door in front of him began to rise, the light began to shine on the approximate one hundred of skull ganmen behind him. He grabbed onto the controls as it shined on his more unique mech. Its face overly stern on its green armored body with broad shoulders as black and green legs supported it. Holding onto a long halberd axe were black arms with green gauntlets.

The commander’s ganmen marched outside onto the deck as the squad behind him followed at the same pace. Once they were all outside, the commander addressed his people.

“Soldiers,” he shouted holding up the axe, “today we restore our honor!” The skull ganmen pumped their fists in the air as they cried out with aggression. “That human abomination in the black ganmen humiliated us and our glorious king! The battle was recorded and sent to the kingdom, now a head is expected! But I don’t want a trace left of that wretched pilot!”

Once more the skulls grew excitable with cries of an appetite for battle.

“Charge,” Commander Bampu shouted.

And they followed him as he jumped off the dai-gun, still higher than a mountaintop, in a drop zone, miles away from the village. Seeing their enemies actions, made our heroes deeply confused.

“Umm,” Taishi began inside Godenn as he watched them fall. “Did they forget where we are?”

“No,” Kinji said sounding rather serious, “they’re trying to draw us out. They’re not taking any chances with you, so they brought out a whole army in an open field. But they’re only expecting you. They don’t know we’re using my new Akanbō that we took from them. Which means we have something up our sleeves now.”

“I gotcha,” Taishi acknowledged with a stern face, “I’ll race down ahead, and you come in when you’re ready!” Godenn then began running but stopped after two steps. “Leiko…” she looked back at it curious about what he was going to say. “I hope I get to see you and your ganmen in action.”

And after he turned back away, Godenn squatted down as low as it could and jumped miles forward to the beastmen army.

“Hopefully you won’t have to,” Leiko smiled small.

After landing and hopping a second time, Godenn and Taishi landed as close as he thought necessary in front of the enemy. Godenn rose slowly to stand tall in front of the green leader as Taishi made a war face.

“You’ve made quite a mess yesterday you filthy human,” Shouted the leading pilot. “And I Commander Bampu, will make you suffer for shaming our king and us! Prepare to die!”

“Do your worst, you fuzz balls,” Taishi cried through his ganmen, that began to run.

As he ran to the beastman hoard, high in the sky was something small and airborne. Its round face looked down towards the running ganmen as a propeller rotated rapidly for its repulsion. What it saw was televised on a small screen in front of Leiko under a small dome in a small dark chamber.

“Here we go,” she whispered.

“Here we go,” Taishi shouted. Godenn threw a punch in the space upfront as a drill shot out of the top of its wrist. Much like yesterday it seemed to have an unlimited extension. But the commanding ganmen deflected it up in the air with its axe. Commander Bampu then held the halberd with both hands and swung from the side.

Godenn blocked it with the same drill, retraced to a smaller size, but it was not entirely successful. The axe did not bounce back, its ganmen wielder still had it pressed against the spinning spire. During the power struggle, one of the skull ganmen came from the side and then charged at Godenn with its elbow.

“Gah,” Taishi cried being forced back from the impact. While trying to keep his ganmen standing, Godenn’s feet left marks in the dirt.

Taishi then saw a skull ganmen, probably the same one that rammed him; in the air above Godenn’s eye level. Closing in for an attack from above, Godenn’s hands interlocked. The joined hands tightened as they were raised above the face. Taishi gave out a battle cry as he dropped the fists on the skull ganmen. After a crater was made, another skull ganmen grabbed one of its arms.

“What the hell,” asked Taishi in an outrage? “Let go of me you son of a bitch!” Godenn’s hands were separated and Taishi began shaking the captured arm to be rid of the enemy. During the futile attempt, Bampus ganmen jump kicked Godenn’s forehead. The ganmen lost its grip as Godenn and Taishi were knocked down and sent back by yards.

“Crap,” Taishi muttered, “glad they didn’t gang up on me like this yesterday.” Then more crashing impacts came from outside. When the crashing stopped, Godenn was held down by half a dozen skull ganmen by the limbs. “Alright,” Taishi began shouting; “now you’re going back to being bullies!”

“Quit complaining about our tactics human,” Taishi heard Bampu shout. He then saw the commanding ganmen above him in midair, holding the halberd back from above with both hands. “And embrace your death.”

“Forget it,” Taishi and another voice shouted. Taishi then tightened his grip on the controls as drills from all the holes in the limbs emerged. They pierced through and exploded the six lesser enemies. Simultaneously, the bull ganmen, Akanbō, had sky rammed its horns onto the green leader. The horns could not penetrate the armor, but it was sent back and lost the axe.

Once Akanbō landed on its feet, Godenn jumped back up with its pilot angered

“Now you show up,” Taishi shouted? “Right when I was about to do something awesome?”

“Well if you would quit snoozing then you wouldn’t have been losing,” Kinji shouted back. The new pilot calmed down with a sigh and a suggestion. “If you want to do something cool, you can take the leader.” Akanbō then walked to the axe, it then picked it up, broke the pole in half and dropped the half without the blade. “And I’ll handle the small fry.”

“As long as you lay off my back,” Taishi said, “that’s fine with me!” And Godenn ran towards the green mech that also landed on its feet after impact and ran towards Godenn. Godenn was the first to throw a punch but the enemy grabbed the fist. The steps repeated with the opposite hands. As they partook in a game of mercy, Akanbō took its new axe at the army.

“Soldiers,” Bampu began to order. “Take back that ganmen and my axe if you can, terminate if otherwise!”

“Yes sir,” they shouted!

“You want these back,” Kinji asked with a cocky devils grin? “Come and get it!” Akanbō jumped in with a now one-handed axe, slashing the ganmen one by one, explosion after explosion. “Come on, I thought you Beasterrans were supposed to be a bunch of tough S.O.B.’s! Now put up a fight already!”

“I think he’s asking for too much,” Bruce said on the coms line in the small room Leiko sat in. Leiko nodded in agreement as she arched an eyebrow. While Akanbō began its killing spree, the game of mercy was about to take a turn.

“Be gone you human worm,” Bampu shouted. Then emerging around the bottom of both gauntlets were four holes and from those holes fire had shot out. Simultaneously as the flames spewed, between the green and black of the arms, a locking mechanism was released. And the rocket hands pushed Godenn back.

“Are you kidding me,” Taishi asked trying to push back the hands? He then saw his opponent running straight for him. “Oh, please don’t kick me again.” But as it ran, to small spikes emerged from the holes where the forearms were. Those spikes instantly expanded and turned into new gauntlets and hands. “What the hell?”

And the green ganmen pulled back on one of its arms and unleashed the rockets again for the newly grown gauntlet. Bampu roared as he punched through the air and the first took flight and rammed Godenn between the eyes. The first two hands released the black ganmen during the punch. Taishi screamed as he felt the pain while being sent flying across the desert. Godenn crashed down on its back and for a moment was immovable.

“What the hell was that,” Taishi asked? The shock from the punch caused him to lose his grip on the controls. Taishi quickly re-summoned his strength to grab hold of them again. Godenn began to rise back up, but when it was seen in a sitting position, the enemy posed in confidence.

“Impressive isn’t it,” Bampu bragged? The flying forearm made its way back to the bicep and became reattached to the body. “This power was entrusted to me by the Wild King himself through his generals, the Savage Six.” The two hands that held Godenn then levitated above the mecha. “Not only can these mighty fists depart and merge again from my Kō-hei, but also I can grow new arms.

“And the fists I decide to keep off my ganmen serves as my drones. For example; strike now!” The two drone fists flew at the still sitting Godenn with deadly speed. Taishi growled and had Godenn backflip to stand up again.

“As if I’m going to let you hit me again,” Taishi shouted. Godenn did its usual jump, while in the air two drills emerged from its wrists. Aiming for the projectiles Godenn thrust the drills at them. Unfortunately, they missed and Godenn was crouching on the ground with its drills in the dirt.

The rocket fists rose in the air and retargeted Godenn on its back. In the nick of time, Godenn pulled out its drills and moved away as the fists impacted the ground and exploded. With its drills still out, they began spinning and Godenn charged the enemy. Once in range, Godenn began swinging its drills around like claws. However, Bampu could see the attacks coming and successfully dodged each swipe.

“Amateur,” Bampu said. After dodging another swing, his Kō-hei shot out another arm. The new projectile then grabbed hold of the arm Godenn had pointing to the sky that was about to strike.

“Huh…” Taishi asked? With a tight grip, the arm folded and flew Godenn up to the sky the drill was pointing and spinning at. “You’ve gotta be freaking kidding me!” With surprising speed, Taishi and Godenn felt terrible turbulence as they were pulled up.

This forced take off did not go unnoticed. Kinji had sliced an arm off an enemy that he kicked down when he heard the rocket.

“What the…” Kinji noticed Godden high in the atmosphere, “when did that little turd’s ganmen start flying?”

“I think I should step on in,” Leiko said with a smirk.

“Not yet Ms. Leiko,” Bruce said through the intercom as he watched through the drone in the limos driver seat. “We should see how this plays out a little further.” Leiko scowled at her butlers so called, ‘suggestion,’ turned to a pout with folded arms.

When the shaking instantly stopped, Taishi’s eyes widened at the sight of the enemy dai-gun with mountaintops behind it.

“We’re already this high up,” Taishi asked in shock? He then felt a jolt jump and Godenn raised its eyes to the fists. Noticing it had its pinky out Taishi burrowed his eyes and said, “That bastard.” After the first turned into a hand, Godenn was released to fall from a death-facing drop.

Turbulence was felt inside the cockpit yet again, only with the pilot having a moment of screaming. As Taishi and his Ganmen grew nearer to the ground, the drone was still sending its feed.

“Taishi,” Leiko shouted and she grabbed hold to two handlebars sticking out. “I can’t stand by anymore. I won’t allow a friend I made yesterday to die!”

“No way,” said Taishi’s voice heard from Godenn through the speakers. The frustration in the words was what called the girls attention. With confusion Leiko loosened her hands on the controls to understand what he was saying. “No way am I letting it end like this!” Godenn’s pilot had it stretch out in an X formation as the drill continued spinning.

While in fists, the mecha slammed its knuckles together as the tips of the drills connected making sparks fly.

“Come on dirt,” Taishi shouted with angst, “do your worst!” The two drills were then wrapped in a swirl of green light. When the light dispersed, a single drill had replaced them and enveloped the fists. It was twice the size of the first drills in length and width.

“No way,” Kinji said in shock.

“Incredible,” Leiko said, also in shock.

“My word,” Bruce said with average composure.

Taishi gave yet another cry as the new drill spun heavily as it continued aiming the ground. But as Taishi arrived halfway between where he was launched and dropped, Bampu chuckled.

“Amateurism at its finest,” he devilishly grinned. Bampus Ganmen launched two rocket arms, then replaced them and launched those. The first set grabbed Godenn’s forearms and flipped it to have the drill face the sky. The rockets then aimed their thrusters at each other, after another boost, Godenn’s arms separated and the drill shattered.

“Son of a…” Taishi began, but before he could finish, the second set of hands grabbed Godenn’s legs. Holding it in the X formation, Godenn was brought down to the ground, levitating by the arms.

“I admit it’s been a challenge human,” Bampu said. “But now that you’re like this I can atone for the humiliation you caused.” The green ganmen, Kō-hei, pointed its half arms at the held-up enemy, the circles inside the arms began to glow a bright red. Bampus army and Akanbo’s pilot noticed this light from afar.

“What’s going on,” Kinji asked? Then the soldiers seemed to answer his question, even though they did not actually hear him.

“That must be the commander!” “He’s preparing to fire his prototype energy canon!” “Ha, ha, that human’s good as toast!” “Send him to hell Commander Bampu!”

“What,” Kinji shouted?

When the light from the arms seemed to be glowing at its brightest, Bampu was ready to strike.

“Disappear,” the beastman commander cried. But before he could fire, the ground his ganmen stood on cracked.

“Huh,” Bampu asked taking notice? The cracks grew and the dirt they were made in instantly rose. Details could not be seen as between the light and Kō-heis face, only shadow was seen.

But in the rising rubble, something made a fist. Neon green lines whirling around surrounded that rather small fist. The punch was enough to force Kō-hei to distance itself and drop the attack.

“What was that,” Bampu asked? With a clearer view with the lights were gone, Bampus eyes widened, almost with fear.

It was an entire head that was five feet tall, with a silver face encased in black. From its sides were two arms the size of what a humans would be and from the bottom were two stubby legs. On top of the head was, what looked like a blonde spikey mullet that almost touched the ground incased in a crown with a circle. Commander Bampus ganmen stood as awestruck as its pilot’s face, staring at the small mech.

“A mini ganmen,” Bampu asked, “Could it be a…”

And from the tiny machine came a voice that Taishi had already become familiar with. “Like what you see,” the ganmen giggled?

“Leiko,” Taishi asked? “Is that you?”

“That’s right,” said Leiko’s voice as she made the ganmen turn to his Godenn. “I told you I’d help out in a big way today!”

“But that looks like a…” Taishi began.

“If you don’t mind could you be the audience for this one,” Leiko asked as she turned the tiny robot back to face the enemy? “Mullet needs to stretch its legs.”

“Mullet,” Taishi asked?

“That mini ganmen,” Bampu spoke to himself, “could it be like the one from history? Such a weapon could be devastating to all that the king’s done. Everything he’s planning and organizing both an army and civilization could be for nothing!” Bampu then roared as his ganmen charged while spawning new arms. “I’ll squash you like the insect you are!”

“Do your worst,” Leiko cried with a sporting grin. Underneath the hair, on its back was a green light emitting that made the mini ganmen begin to rise. Leiko cried out, as the green light became a green flame that made Mullet launch towards the enemy. That enemy stopped running, launched one of its arms and replaced it. But what Bampu saw next was not the expected result.

Cracks had formed all around the rocket arm, when it shattered; the miniature mech was seen with a drill sticking out of its crown.

“A drill,” Bampu asked with shock?

“So that’s why she was so curious last night about your drills Godenn,” Taishi said talking to his machine. “That’s kind of cool.”

The new drill began spinning again as Mullet shot flying towards it further.

“Piss of human scum,” Bampu roared. When the small ganmen was in range, Kō-Hei swatted it with the back of its hand towards the sky. Leiko screamed as her machine was forced to rise while backflip repeatedly. “You’re not getting off that easily!”

On the green ganmens back, a hatch opened to reveal a small round device with blue lights emitting from it. Kō-Hei began levitating in the air and then shot itself towards the small mech. Once at the same height, Bampu dropped a double hammer fist, forcing Leiko and Mullet into a meteor, burning while falling. The drill was lost as Leiko screamed and fell but stopped herself when she was halfway from where she was shot down. She grunted and tightened her grip on the control handles.

The green flames erupted again as the fall came to a slow stop when the tiny mech was a foot from the ground. She took deep quick breaths as her heartbeat raced a leopard. Her heartbeat kept the accelerated pace as her breathing slowed.

“Ms. Leiko,” her butler began over the intercom, “are you alright?” Then, as if the rapid beats were tickling Leiko, she cracked a smile.

“Now it’s a party,” Leiko shouted. And Mullet shot like a rocket, aiming at the enemy. While making a new drill from the head, two more replaced the hands and all three spun deadly. “Let’s see you handle this you bastard!”

“Can’t either of you humans accept death when it calls to you,” Bampu asked? He shouted the question as he pulled back both his ganmens arms and launched them. The first rocket punch was wiped out with ease; the second arm however avoided the drills. But instead of the metal haul, it grasped the ganmens hair and pulled it back fiercely, halting its assent and drill spinning.

“Hey,” Leiko shouted losing her smile, “no hair pulling!” The thrusters gave out more force to fight against the forearms’. But they could only struggle to increase speed.

“There persistence is infuriating,” Bampu had shouted, “I’ll wipe them both out!” And instead of growing its arms back, the inside of the ganmens biceps restarted its red glow. The light shined brighter with each second until Bampu and his mech were ready. “Be gone forever humans swine!” And from the arms emerged an enormously wide red beam.

“Ms. Leiko,” Bruce shouted, “you must escape immediately!”

“It’s too big,” Taishi said as his eyes widened and shaking at the sight of what looked like a red sun falling toward him.

“Holy crap,” Kinji said. Leiko too had her eyes wide and shaking as she stared into the red light. But then her smile came back.

“Oh, hell yeah,” she cheered. “This is what Mullet’s made for!” She grasped tight on the controls and the drill on the head began spinning again.

“What is she…” Taishi began asking? And the beam made contact with the tip of the drill, but again, it did not have the effect Bampu had in mind. The beam began to twirl as the drill began to radiate with neon green lighting.

“What,” Bampu asked?

Within a circle with a swirling pattern facing the pilot, inside the tiny ganmen, its color turned white to green. The beam ceased to produce from the arms; it turned green and became a spiral. The humongous swirl was quickly swallowed into the puny drill. Each little gap in Mullet’s armor began to glow the same neon green as Leiko roared a ferocious battle cry.

“Incredible,” Kinji said, with his ganmen still surrounded by spectating enemies. “That squirt of metal absorbed an attack like that? Bampus rage had turned into sudden fear as he saw the light.

“I can’t believe this,” he said in shock. “But there’s no way I can deny it. That ganmen is a Core Machine!”

“Leiko,” Taishi said still in shock but with a new sight, “where’d you get a ganmen like that?”


	3. Where They Pierced The Heavens

The green ganmen, piloted by the beastman, Commander Bampu, had unleashed an ever-extending pillar of red energy. The target was a smaller ganmen yet feared to be extremely powerful. From the crown on the small ones head and its hands were three drills. First to touch the beam was the drill on the head of the small ganmens head. During the approach, it had spun to untold speeds as it glowed a light green.

At point of contact, the beam began to twirl and change color to the same as the light from the drill.

“What is this,” asked Commander Bampu? The red, straight beam had turned into a light green swirl that was being sucked into the drill. “It is a core machine…”

After complete absorption, the tiny ganmens mouth opened with an even brighter green light, followed by a ferocious battle cry. The machines pilot, Leiko, could almost feel the power flowing through her mech as she grinned.

“Oh yeah,” she shouted, “what a pick me up!” The strings of hair on the scalp of the small ganmen being pulled on by a rocket arm began to flex and spike. The long and now spiky hair punctured through the fist and destroyed it with a fierce explosion.

The thruster on the small mechs back erupted an enormous green flame. The mini ganmen flew at an impossible speed towards the green ganmen as its drills began to spin again. Leiko gave another scream as she had her ganmen called Mullet charge at the enemy.

“Get away from me,” Bampu shouted stubbornly. And two new forearms and hands grew out.

When Mullet was in range, his Kō-hei hammer fisted it down. Mullet fell and as the pilot helped it fight against gravity pulling up on the controls.

“How dare you,” Leiko yelled. And the small mech shot forward, dived and rose back up, drills spinning and all.

“I said get away,” Bampu shouted again and his mech shot fist after fist at Mullet and Leiko. But each fist was turned to pieces as the three drills skewered through them.

“Mullet,” Leiko shouted, “Impact!” Mullet’s drills finally touched the green ganmens haul and dug through.

“Damn it,” Bampu said. He hit a switch in his control module than ignited the bottom of his seat. The top of the body of Kō-hei opened and he was shot through. And in the blink of the eyes of the witnesses, a hole was made in the core of the enemy mech. Mullet had bolted down to land on the solid ground, as the nonfunctioning mech became a massive explosion.

The rocket arms that were keeping Godenn levitating and captive had shut off, leaving the mech to fall on its posterior.

“Damn,” Taishi said in calm yet wide-eyed amazement.

“The commander,” shouted one of the soldiers pointing up to the sky. There was a wide parachute supporting the defeated enemy and everyone could see the colors of his figure. He was comprised of dark red fur while his goatee and Mohawk were purple. Bampus stomach and face, with only some fur, were a light grey.

“All units,” Bampu said to his wrist communicator, “go back to the ship but stay in your ganmen. And send me a recovery cruiser.”

“Yes sir,” said a voice on the other side of the line. And all the lower ganmen that was audience to the fight shot up in the air.

“Hey,” Kinji shouted and noticed the army fleeing. “Come back and fight you cowards! I’ve still got my dukes up!” But after shouting, he took a deep breath and looked back to his allied ganmen as Mullet levitated down to Godenn. Looking at the two ganmen Kinji could not help but smile small. “Upstaged by a couple teenagers, I have some work to do.”

From the side of the enemy ship, a rocketed projectile that appeared similar to a canoe shot at and picked up the commander. He took a seat and a loud sigh as he was brought back to his ship. Bampu peered over and looked down with an angry glared at the core machine with the larger black mech.

“Ready the missiles,” Bampu said in a communicator in his gauntlet, “and prepare a full speed course to homeland.”

Godenn’s hatch opened up and Taishi stepped out to see the small ganmen Mullet land.

“Leiko,” Taishi said, “is that actually you in that ganmen?”

After the engines shut off, the enormous set of hair was sucked into the scalp until a white dome was seen. The dome then opened as Leiko stood up from the seat inside.

“You bet your ass it is,” she called out winking.

“But how did it,” Taishi began to ask but was still too surprised and confused. “Where’d you…” Suddenly speakers were turned on with a screeching that caught the pilots on the ground.

“Attention humans of Kogeki Town,” it was the voice of Commander Bampu. “We had hoped to continue honoring our agreement after destroying your recent guardians. However, with this disgrace they’ve bestowed upon my men and I, it is time to remove your peaceful suburban city from the globe.” He set aside the microphone and said to his soldiers with him in the flight deck, “Fire away.”

The airstrip then split open to reveal a multitude of missiles that ignited and launched at the touch of sunlight. They rose to the sky and leaned forward towards the town.

“Missiles,” cried Kinji!

“We have to stop them,” Taishi shouted sitting back in his ganmen and made it stand back up and run. Leiko started her Mullet back up as well and flew towards the danger.

“I don’t think I can make it,” Leiko cried as she flew full speed. Kinji however, he simply looked upon the deadly rockets with boredom until he smiled.

“You bastard,” Kinji said with a small smile. At that instant, something small had gone through a missile and blew it up.

“Huh,” Taishi said as Godenn slowed down. Suddenly all the missiles were exploding as what appeared to be bullets were shot through them.

“What,” shouted Bampu? Mullet was simply flying in place as Leiko watched the enemy attack fail.

“What’s going on,” Leiko asked?

“Reinforcements,” Kinji answered. They looked further up to see the smaller ammunition was coming from another dai-gun ship. It was a different and more recent design than the older model of the dai-Yunka Taishi and Kinji traveled in. Its landing strip was between two zeppelin-sized engines. The body tower was most hulk-like as it was all colored blue with red details and windows.

The flight deck was much like the enemies but with humans working alongside beastmen.

“Captain,” said one of the crew, “all enemy projectiles have been neutralized.

“Alright then,” the human captain grinned, “hand me the mike.” He was thrown a microphone that he perfectly snatched in the air. “Attention all bitches! This is Captain Takahashi of the New Gurren Military and this town is now under our protection. Turn your ship around or we’ll stomp mud-holes up every ass you have on board!”

Bampu growled at the over confident threat.

“S-Sir,” said one of the lower beastmen on deck, “I understand we have a reputation to uphold. But considering we’re running low on enforcement, I suggest we…”

“I know,” Bampu shouted! “I had the engines and coarse ready anyway. Take us home!” The enemy Dai-Gun instantly turned around and jetted away from the battlefield.

“Glad we understand one another,” the Captain Takahashi said. There was cheering to be heard, from thousands of feet in the air and from miles away in the desert. All directions looked to Kogeki Town where the inhabitants were crying in rejoice for finally obtaining peace.

“They seem happy,” Leiko said out of breath.

“You hear that Godenn,” Taishi asked with a small smirk? “We’ve finally done some good in this world.” And he then let go of his controls and granted his body rest. It did not seem long when he opened his eyes back up at the sound of rocks clanging on his ganmen again.

“Wake up you slacker,” Kinji shouted from outside as he threw more rocks at Godenn’s teeth.

“Seriously Kinji,” said the captain of the New Gurren ship. “I’ve gotten most of what I need for my report. I don’t need him to wake up right away.”

“This isn’t about your report old pal,” Kinji said. “It’s about him, always sleeping on the job!”

“I see,” Captain Takahashi said as Kinji continued throwing rocks. “Well, let me know when he’s out.” Takahashi walked away towards Leiko and Bruce at the limo. She was flying the small ganmen over the roof and lowered it inside to dock. As she hopped out the hatch closed, and she presented herself to the Captain.

“It’s always good to see you again Captain Takahashi,” Leiko said sweetly, bowing like a princess.

“And as always Leiko I wish we could stop meeting like this,” Takahashi said. “I know you pitched in to help and that was really noble, but you know how dangerous your ganmen is.”

“I know sir,” Leiko rolled her eyes.

“And now our most bitter enemy has confirmation of its existence,” Takahashi said. There’s no way to cover this up.”

“Look my friend was about to be atomized and who knows what else behind him,” Leiko said. “I held back as long as I could.”

“I know,” Takahashi said. “And truth is we knew this situation was coming. I just hope we have enough time to prepare for…”

“OW!” They looked to see the cry came from the cockpit in the bigger ganmen. “Will you stop throwing rocks at me you jackass?” Taishi shouted covering his forehead.

“Not as long as you keep slacking off,” Kinji replied.

“Well sorry for feeling tired after the second life or death battle I’ve ever had,” Taishi shouted back.

“We’ll talk more back at HQ,” Takahashi finished with Leiko. “I’d like to meet this new hero.”

“Wait Takahashi,” Leiko called him. “What about Kogeki Town? Is it gonna be safe from here on?”

“No worries,” Takahashi smiled. “We’ll leave some men to station here for security until the town’s better fortified.”

“Okay,” Leiko sighed, “thank you.”

The captain nodded and continued walking. Taishi was already on the ground as Takahashi arrived, but was still yelling at Kinji.

“Am I interrupting your counseling session for this week,” Takahashi asked? The two stopped fighting as Kinji began introductions.

“Taishi this Captain Takahashi,” Kinji addressed. “We were buddies from basic training.”

“It’s nice to meet you sir,” Taishi saluted.

“At ease cadet,” Takahashi joked. “Tell me Taishi, do you have proof of ownership for this ganmen? Or even a license to operate? Taishi had jumped scared at the question but tried hiding it with a nervous smile.

“Well I,” Taishi began.

“Relax kid,” Takahashi laughed. “Kinji already ratted you out. But since you helped out all these nice people, I can lend you a hand with the paper work. Feel like taking a trip to the big city?”

“Oh uh… yeah,” Taishi answered. “That would be awesome.”

“Great,” Takahashi grinned. “I’ll have my men bring your mech aboard my ship. It’s called Godenn right?”

“Yep,” Taishi answered. “That’s my partner. Oh! Hey Kinji, where’s Leiko?”

“Right over there,” Kinji answered. And Taishi ran over to the limo as she was standing by talking to Bruce and a soldier. “Don’t say thank you or anything. Rotten bastard.”

“Captain Kinji!” This call made Taishi stop as he, Kinji and Takahashi looked in its direction. It was the crew from Dai-Yunka running over to their captain.

“Hey guys,” Kinji said with a smile. “Good to see you again.”

“Captain,” Takahashi asked making Kinji blush and scratch the back of his head?

“Kinji,” said one of his crew. “It’s the boss. He called the ship while we were in New Gurren City. We had to tell him everything. And he’s pissed at all of us.”

“Well I knew this was gonna happen,” Kinji sighed. “Takahashi, you guys mind if we take a detour?”

“Like I said,” Takahashi began. “My reports not due until I report in. We can spare some time so you can spare your job.”

“Thanks man,” Kinji said as he started walking away. “I’ll contact you from my ship on the way so we can start catching up.”

“Not a bad idea,” Takahashi said. As Kinji walked away with his men, he called out to his. “Alright you bozos, let’s get this big guy into the docking bay!” At the same time another soldier approached Leiko and Bruce.

“Excuse me miss,” the soldier said. “Captain Takahashi requests you to accompany us. Will you please…”?

“Follow you to the ship and park in the rescue cells,” Leiko finished for him? “We’d be happy to.”

“Yes, we’re quite familiar with the drill,” Bruce said.

“Did you seriously just say that,” Leiko asked, making Bruce feel embarrassed? But his small humiliation was washed away as someone called out to her. They looked to see her new friend run towards them. “Oh, hey Taishi, are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine,” Taishi said. “But Leiko, where did you get a core ganmen? Those things are supposed to be extinct. And where is it, did the army take it away too?”

“Oh no,” Leiko said, “Mullet’s right here in the limo. It’s a special little docking bay we had installed so I can take him anywhere. As for where I got him, I actually built him myself.”

“Wait so you scavenged it like I did with Godenn,” Taishi asked?

“Nope,” Leiko said. “I made him, as in I built him from scratch.”

“WHAT,” Taishi cried? Bruce cleared his throat.

“Perhaps further explanation can be given on the way to the ship,” Bruce asked? And he opened the door to the limo.

“Of course, Bruce,” Leiko said. “But before we see the Captain, I’d like to say goodbye to our friends in town.” The soldier saluted and walked to his vehicle. As he drove off, she stepped in the limo. “Come on in Taishi.”

“Oh uh, right,” Taishi said going inside the fancy vehicle and took a seat right across from Leiko as Bruce closed the door. Bruce bolted over to the driver’s seat, started it up and drove. “So, what do you mean you built it from scratch?”

“Well I didn’t do it by myself,” Leiko began explaining. “Actually, I wasn’t the first to start building him. See I started out as what you would call a child prodigy. Everyone, especially my dad was impressed when I first fixed up this old radio. He started taking me to all these workshops that needed help with projects.

“It was actually lots of fun. Then I met…” Leiko stopped telling her story making a solemn face. Taishi noticed there that the story was upsetting her.

“Uh, Leiko…” Taishi gently called.

“Oh, I’m sorry it’s nothing,” Leiko said putting on a fake smile. “Long story short, I used my naturally gifted brain power to build Mullet, his drills and even his ability to take over machines.”

“Well that’s real cool,” Taishi said. “I look forward to the rest of the story, when you’re ready.”

“Thank you, for your patience,” Leiko appreciated with a small and sweet smile.

“But uh…” Taishi said blushing, “do you think I could see the core drill please? It’s supposed to be like the key right?”

“That’s right,” Leiko said. She pulled out from her handbag a small drill that fit in her hand. At its top was a small loophole in a thin layer of metal with a gap at the bottom.

“That’s so cool,” Taishi said with his eyes sparkling. “I never thought I’d see one. Except for replicas in museums.”

“I can assure you it’s the real deal,” Leiko said. “And that it was the hardest piece of Mullet to make. You’re a big fan of the stories of Team Dai-Gurren aren’t you?”

“Anything that has to do with ganmen or any kind of mecha is part of the center of my universe,” Taishi said. Leiko then giggled at first and then burst with laughter

“Miss Leiko,” Bruce said over intercom speakers. “We’re nearing the town and it seems the townsfolk are awaiting us.”

“Thanks Bruce,” Leiko said. Once they pulled over, Bruce opened the door for Leiko and Taishi. All in town cheered with lifted spirits seeing their heroes appear from the car. The teenagers were stunned from the size of audience and volume of cheering. Up in front were the town mayor and his assistant, alongside the mechanics, Micah, Reo and Perry.

The two young ganmen pilots blushed at first but after a moment they jumped in the air springing with victory.

“We can’t thank you enough young ones,” the mayor said shaking their hands. “We can finally fully rebuild this town and perhaps live in peace.”

“We couldn’t have done it without any of your support Mr. Mayor,” Leiko said sweetly.

“And even though I wish I could’ve done better in today’s fight,” Taishi added, “I wouldn’t have lasted as long as I did. I owe it to your guys’ expert tuning.”

“Think nothing of it,” Reo said shaking his hand. “We were happy to do our part.”

“I wish we could stick around to help you guys piece your town and homes back together,” Taishi said. “But we need to be somewhere else now.”

“You’ve already done more than we could ask of you,” the mayor said waving goodbye.

“Until we meet again you guys,” Reo said also waving goodbye with the other mechanics and the rest of the town. Before going back inside one of the townsfolk caught his eye. It was the little boy he saved from the enemy ganmen after throwing rocks at them. Once they managed faraway eye contact, Taishi smiled and saluted the boy who returned the gesture. And with that they were back in the limo to the army-advanced dai-gun.

Arriving at the military ship the limo was being gently lifted off the ground by a standard grapearl. It flew to the ships airstrip and laid the vehicle back down. Bruce continued driving slowly while being escorted through the ship. After parking they were escorted on foot to their own separate guest rooms. The trio was split up, as Leiko was first to receive a room.

“Miss Leiko,” Bruce said as she went through the door. “If you require anything do notify me through a text message.”

“Thank you, Bruce,” Leiko nodded. And she shut the sliding door and crashed on the bed. Managing to relax with a sigh, only to be interrupted by a ring tone. “Ugh… Bruce.” She pulled her phone out of her purse only to read ‘Daddy’ on her caller ID instead.

“Even better,” Leiko smiled actually. And she sweetly answered the call. “Hi dad.”

“I've been informed that you've been in combat,” her father said.

‘Bruce you snitch bastard,’ Leiko thought. “Dad I know and understand why you're upset but…”

“Actually,” her father interrupted, “While I am still concerned for the safety of you and your ganmen I, I am mostly proud of you.”

“Seriously,” Leiko asked?

“Yes,” he said. “Not only did you survive but you won and fight for a rather noble cause. I’m not always an angry old man, you know, that right?”

“Not a doubt in my mind daddy,” Leiko laughed.

“So,” her dad said, “how did he run?

“In my opinion,” Leiko started to answer, “more than we could've imagined during designing.”

“Excellent,” he replied. “Well I’d certainly like to hear more about your adventure when you return. As well as meet this new friend of yours, Taishi was it?”

“Yeah that’s him,” she answered slightly twirling her hair. “He’s a real nice guy.”

“The nice guy,” he asked.

“What,” she asked blushing red. “No! Daddy…”

“Well I have to attend a meeting sweetheart,” her dad laughed. “I’ll see you when you get back. I love you.”

“I love you too dad,” Leiko smiled. But before hanging up, her father had one last word to say.

“And Leiko,” her father said, “he would've been happy to see you in action today.”

“That still doesn't make it right,” she replied upsettingly. And she hung up and flopped on her bed. After Bruce it was Taishis turn to receive a temporary sleeping quarters.

“Taishi was it,” asked the soldier showing the boy to his room?

“Yes,” Taishi answered.

“The captain wished me to inform you that he will be inspecting your ganmen, specifically the black box. After finding what he needs he’d like your presence for some follow up questions.”

“That’s fine,” Taishi said. “Call me when he’s ready for me.” The soldier nodded and left him alone and the door shut automatically. As Taishi gave a long sigh, he immediately flopped on his bed stomach down. “What a crazy couple of days. I finally get in a ganmen fight, and I meet a cute girl that’s a mecha wiz.”

He turned on his back to stare at the ceiling.

‘Leiko,’ Taishi thought, ‘She built a core machine, the same type of ganmen as that Lagann from the old days. Hey, I wonder if…’

“Hmm…” He pulled out of his vest pocket his touch screen phone to look up images on the Internet. “Gurren Lagann,” Taishi said as he pulled up an image of the mecha that changed everything. “I wonder if Leiko and I… no, there’s no need.” The boy exited out of the Internet and set aside his phone for a nap.

After some time had passed Taishi’s door was knocked on. And unlike when Kinji threw rocks at his Godenn, he stood right up. He opened the door rubbing his eyes to try and see the soldier better.

“Mr. Taishi, the captain is ready for you.”

“Lead the way sir,” Taishi yawned. The soldier led him to the captains’ office. Where Takahashi sat at his desk behind a full wall window.

“Taishi,” the captain said smiling small standing up and holding out his hand. “Good to meet you again and thanks for joining me at this time.”

“It’s no trouble sir,” Taishi said shaking his hand and they both took a seat. “So… what would you like to know?”

“Well as my men informed you, we took a look at your ganmen,” Takahashi said. “And for one thing our mechanics are quite impressed with your handy work.”

“Thank you, sir,” Taishi blushed. “But it’s recent customizing’s are thanks to the towns folk back in Kogeki.”

“Yes, Kinji mentioned that while you were asleep in it,” Takahashi said. “Anyway, we picked out your ganmens black box and found some interesting footage. You’ve done some training in that mech before your battle.”

“Yes sir,” Taishi said. “While I simply wanted Godenn as an exciting project, I figured I should know how to fight with him.”

“Smart decision,” Takahashi complimented. “A ganmen has to fight eventually.”

“Um, Captain,” Taishi began, “what is it that you actually want to ask me?” The captain made a more serious face and took a deep breath.

“We were given permission to come help you guys because of the footage of your first fight he documented on your ship,” Takahashi explained. “Specifically, the part of the fight where Godenn produced drills and how they were used in combat.”

“Yeah,” Taishi chimed in, “Leiko was curious about that herself.”

“I’m afraid it’s more concern than curiosity,” Takahashi continued. “There’re only a handful of ganmen in the world that can produce drills. And aside from Leikos core machine, the rulers of different and advanced nations pilot most of them. They’re more commonly known as the Spiral Leaders, and they all pose a threat to each other and us.”

“Well I can assure you sir that I have no intent on hurting anyone,” Taishi said. “Unless they gang up on me or others that can’t stand against them.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Takahashi said with a small smile. “And your actions in the footage I’ve seen so far vouches your truth.” His face became serious again as he continued explaining. “But I’m more concerned now about your ganmen and its origin. Kinji says you found it in the junkyard the two of you work at.

“But we can’t seem to find any memory as to what happened before you got your hands on it.”

“Well,” Taishi began, “I had to take it apart to fix it up and customize it, including its original computer system.”

“Well do you have the information or your mechas original computers,” Takahashi asked?

“Uh… maybe,” Taishi said nervously. “It was a long time ago and we actually get more customers than you think for a junkyard. So, there’s an even chance that the computers are under the pile I found Godenn in or they were sold.”

“Fair enough,” Takahashi said pinching his brow. “Well we’re taking you and Kinji back so you can report to your boss anyway. If you can show my men and I the pile, we can start our search from there.”

“I can certainly help you with that,” Taishi assured with a smile.

“Perfect,” Takahashi said. “We appreciate your cooperation.”

“It’s no trouble sir,” Taishi said. That was when a rumbling was heard in his stomach, rather hurting. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it just hit me! I haven’t eaten at all today!

“Breakfast never even came to mind when that beastman commander showed up. And I was so tired after the fight to not realize I hadn’t eaten yet!” Takahashi laughed exponentially hearing about Taishi’s day.

“And unfortunately, it’s past lunch, so the cafeteria’s closed,” Takahashi said still laughing. “But I think I can hook you up.” He opened a drawer and tossed him a granola bar. “Hopefully that’ll hold you up until dinner time.”

“Thank you,” Taishi started crying as he unwrapped and took a bite out of the bar. A beep was heard on a small intercom on the desk followed by a voice.

“Sir, we’ve reached the halfway point towards the designated coordinates.”

“Thank you for your report,” Takahashi replied with his finger on the machines button. “Go ahead and have our equipment ready when we arrive but let the men relax ‘till then.”

“Also, sir,” the soldier on the other line added, “we double checked the charts. It appears in a couple of miles we’ll be flying over, the sighting.”

“I see,” Takahashi replied rather focused. “Thanks for letting me know.” Takahashi hung up and leaned back in his chair.

“What sighting was he talking about,” asked Taishi confused?

“He said ‘the sighting,’” Takahashi answered. “What exactly comes to mind when someone says that?” After a moment of thought, Taishi realized what it was.

“Kamina City,” Taishi answered.

“Kamina Ruins now,” Takahashi corrected. He stood up from his chair too look out the big window. “And I have the best seat in the house for it.” Taishi finished his bar as he stood up, threw the wrapper away and stood next to Takahashi. Within moments, the dai-gun carrying our heroes flew over a wide crevice.

“This is the place,” Taishi said. “This is where they first changed the world.”

“No, this is where they first pierced the heavens,” Takahashi corrected. “And where it all fell to hell.”

Within it was the remains of an advanced metropolis civilization. Among the rubble was a giant metal pigmole with huge glasses. The biggest of the remains was a ganmen looking building that not only was cut in half but also had a gaping hole in the cut. And somewhere on the ground, amidst the rubble, was a sculptured forearm with an index finger out. It had been a statue of a legendary hero that made life there possible.

“Pierced the heavens,” Taishi asked?

“It’s this little philosophy and motto they went by,” Takahashi explained, managing a smile. “The leaders and members of the original Team Dai-Gurren I mean. ‘Bust through the heavens with your drill.’”

“I’m not familiar of that phrase,” Taishi said. “I don't think I've read it in any history books.”

“Those books only told you what they did,” Takahashi said. “What their beliefs are in their autobiographies. They still carry on, telling our soldiers and even civilians to do the impossible. But I bet they never imagined their teachings would lead to such a devastating catastrophe.”

“Captain Takahashi,” Taishi began, “what exactly happened here, on Fallen Day?”

There was no answer at first; Takahashi had tightened his fist held behind his back.

“How much do you know about it,” Takahashi asked his guest?

“Not much,” Taishi answered. “I was only eight years old when it happened, and I only saw the devastation on the news. Then I started working and living at the junkyard. I haven’t heard much else about it or been to any memorial events.”

“Well,” Takahashi began, “the details are classified. And to be honest I don't know most of them myself. Not to mention that it's not entirely my story to tell. I can't tell you how it started, but what I do know is that it was because of a man’s dream. Because of him and a monster, everything went to hell that terrible day. I’ve been in combat beforehand, but I’ve never been in such a war zone before or since.”

“I’m sorry to hear that sir,” Taishi said. “You don't have to explain any further to me.”

“It's alright,” Takahashi said. “And thanks for listening.” And they continued looking out the window down to the ruins.

But instead of giving remorse as he looked to the devastation, Taishi actually gave a look of pondering. A memory of when he was a lad flashed in his head. He sat in a pickup truck that his father drove. But while driving, he cried horribly.

‘I wonder what you know what happened dad,’ Taishi thought in the present.

All who looked upon the ruins aboard the ship faced it with remorse. Leiko however looked to the fallen city with anguish, as she cried holding the core drill to her chest. Taking sympathy, Bruce wrapped his arm around her for comfort.

“I know he’s still out there Bruce,” Leiko said. “And when I see him again, I’ll make things right.”

“Of course, Miss Leiko,” Bruce acknowledged.

While grieving over the ruins, a report was being given to great power and authority in a dark room. Towering safari trees on his knees on a platform surrounded Commander Bampu.

“And so, without enough fire power to battle against reinforcements we fled. I have no excuse for my failure and surrendering to filthy humans.”

Facing the commander was a small mountain for the center of the room, standing on it was seven beastmen. Their full forms and colors were hidden in darkness.

“If you seek retribution,” said the beastman at the highest point, “there is no need. Your failure has granted us pivotal information. You are dismissed. Wait for your reassignment. ”

“My liege,” Bampu said and he walked out of the jungle room. The seven shady characters swiftly leaped from the rock. Transforming themselves into blurs, they made their way to the back of the long and wide room of wild trees. Finished with running and leaping they sat down in a circle of chairs. The beastman that stood at the top of the mountain sat in a chair that stood out from the others.

“That town was our best supplier,” said one of the beastmen in one of the lesser chairs. “And the parts that were to be delivered were going to finish our little project! Who knows how long the machine’s production will be delayed!”

“We have other means of assembling the parts,” said another beastman, this time a female. “With our luck and recourses, we’ll finish in a matter of days.”

“And besides,” said another female, “I believe our king is more interested about what defeated that Bampu boy.”

“You know me well my dear,” said their king. “This core machine, this ‘ganmen with hair,’ is a sign of victory. I feared it had been lost when we had wiped that weak city from the map.”

“You wish for us to retrieve it sire,” asked a male? “But what need do you have for its power? You already have enough to bring this world to its knees. And when our machine is complete your victory and plans will come to fruition.”

“This is more than conquering the world,” said the king. “The core machine is capable of strength beyond imagination. At our disposal, it shall allow us to lay waist to all opposing societies. Even with our project as an end game, no military will be capable of standing against ours.”

One of the lower beastmen rose from his chair on his serpent body with no legs.

“If his majesty wishes it so dearly,” the serpent man bowed, “then allow me to grant it for him. I shall find this lesser dai-gun and plunge the mini ganmen from them.”

“No,” cried another male beastmen, one bipedal and highly hulking with horns on his head. “Please allow me your highness! I will smash all who oppose me and deliver the mecha in my ganmens cold steel hand.”

“Enough,” shouted the king. “I shall decide who shall retrieve my prey! And I will decide when the time comes! Now… sit… back... down!” Sweating from their brow, the two beastmen slowly sat back down while three others softly chuckled.

The beastman that did not laugh raised a question.

“Your majesty, what of the larger ganmen? It too produces drills, surly it could also be useful, or pose a threat.”

“Indeed,” said the king. He waved his hand in front and a projection of Godenn was displayed. “I am quite curious of this ganmens origin and somehow find it… familiar. Yet I don't believe it is part of my past.”

“What will you have us do sire,” asked one of the females?

“Have our spies inform us when this ‘Captain Takahashi’ arrives in New Gurren City,” the king answered. “And… post a bounty. One million, for each of those two ganmen, I wish to see what more they are capable of.”

“Yes, your majesty,” said his beastmen and disappeared.

“I should've known that it had survived,” said the king to him as he stood up and walked around smiling. “And that they were hiding it from me after all these years. But now I know the core machine still exists and is within my grasp. And with my own weapon near in completion, I will soon reign supreme! I will finish where the Spiral King failed!

“This world shall populate beastmen alone and all other sentient life on it shall be extinct or return underground! And the rest of the universe shall follow!” And the twisted mind of his forced him to laugh uncontrollably and maniacally.


	4. Episode 4: Don't Mess With, Us

“You incompetent parasites,” shouted an old brawny man behind a desk. His muscles were hidden by his clothes but the build he had showed he had much physical strength. “I told you to come straight back after you made that simple delivery! And what do you bastards do?” Taishi and Kinji did not respond at first.

They knew it was a rhetorical question and stayed silent. Kinji stood straight like a soldier with his arms behind his back. However, Taishi crossed his arms and made an annoyed face looking away.

“You make me wait three days longer, involve yourselves in a war and you bring an army to my doorstep! Now I have soldiers all over my scrap yard looking to take from me!”

“They’re not taking much,” Taishi said annoyed with the yelling. “All they’re looking for is the old computer system that my ganmen used to use.”

“And how long do you think that’s going to take you brat,” the boss asked still yelling? “They could be here for days looking for one lousy computer! Customers will be scared to death when this place is in their sights and turn the other way!”

“We’re sorry for inconveniencing you and the business sir but…” Kinji began to say.

“Shut your yaps,” the boss shouted. “Normally I wouldn’t mind your lousy excuses for heroics Taishi. But this is the worst consequence you’ve forced us to share with you!”

“What does it matter,” Taishi asked? “We still got paid for the parts and delivery.”

“Oh no Taishi,” the boss said smiling. “We got paid for parts and delivery.” The boss went back to an enraged tone. “While the two of you receive no bonus cuts and your paychecks are deducted! Now get the hell out of my office!”

Almost instantly, the two were outside a large wood cabin and the door slammed shut while walking away from it.

“What a perfect ass hole,” Taishi said still agitated.

“Well sometimes that’s how business’ are run kiddo,” Kinji said more relaxed.

“Sounds like it went well,” said the voice of Takahashi. They focused their sights on what was in front of them to see friends. Captain Takahashi, from the New Gurren military, Leiko and her butler Bruce standing their smiling at them.

“Meh, it went about as well as it normally goes with the boss,” Taishi said. “For me anyway.”

“I knew you blue collars had it rough,” Leiko said, “but that sounded like proof of exaggerations.”

“I have no remark of you having being cruel mam,” Bruce said.

“That’s because I can keep my own room clean,” Leiko said.

“I bet if you had gotten your limo out, he would’ve let us off way easier,” Taishi said. “He always softens up to the rich ones that come around here.”

“Well why don’t you guys show me around,” Leiko asked? “Maybe I’ll find something I like and buy a bunch of it. That’ll more than make it up to your boss.”

“Well it won’t change our bosses mind about us but if you’d like to shop, Taishi will be happy to help,” Kinji said.

“And what about you,” asked Taishi? “You can give a tour as well as I can!”

“I’m going to catch up with my pal Captain Takahashi,” Kinji raised his voice. “Now be a man and show your girlfriend a good time in our junk yard!”

“You did just hear yourself right,” Taishi asked? “AND SHE’S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!”

“DO AS YOU’RE TOLD ALREADY,” Kinji shouted.

“FINE,” Taishi shouted back. “Leiko please allow me to show you and Bruce around.”

“Uh… why thank you,” Leiko said with an awkward smile.

“Quite an interesting gentleman,” Bruce said regularly. And so Taishi showed Leiko and Bruce around the yard.

“So, the scrapyard is divided into thirds,” Taishi explained as they walked. He was still feeling rather bitter after dealing with his boss. “There’s the ganmen section where we store the ganmen, but the army has that off limits for the moment. So, the sections between us are trashed automobiles and miscellaneous.

“That holds almost everything else from electronics and appliances.”

“Ooh, let’s check those out,” Leiko said interested in the third division.

Meanwhile in the temporary restricted area of the scrapped ganmen, soldiers were digging through a hill of scrapped metal. On the ground was Captain Takahashi making certain they were doing their jobs.

“Quite an operation you got here pal,” Kinji said walking up with two hot mugs of coffee.

“It won’t take long now,” Takahashi said taking the mug offered to him. “I appreciate your boss allowing us to use your crane.”

“I’m surprised you have a soldier that knows how to use it,” Kinji replied taking a sip from his own mug.

“There shouldn’t be anything surprising about it,” Takahashi said. “The New Gurren Army has the best troops, and we make certain they’re prepared for anything. As I believe you know.”

“You’re still sore about me leaving,” Kinji asked rather annoyed? “Look I’m sorry I dropped out of the military after basic training. But after what happened being a soldier meant something new and less to me.”

“Then how do you explain your recent endeavors,” Takahashi asked? There was no vocal answer from Kinji at first; he only made a stern face looking at the ground. “You went up against and entire squadron of beastman and ganmen. That was a hell of a risk that you managed to make it through.” He took a drink from his coffee as he finished.

“Yeah,” Kinji said, “it did seem rather out of character for me huh?” He managed a small smile looking back up at the pile with soldiers. “But seeing that kid pull off something incredible and wanting to do so much more after, I guess it got my blood boiling.”

“Interesting,” Takahashi said, taking another sip of coffee. “Based on the way you talk to each other I’d thought he wasn’t the inspiring type.”

“Yeah he’s known to slack off on the job once in a while,” Kinji said. “But he definitely puts his back into it for something that matters more. He’s more than happy to delay a delivery by five minutes if it means helping an old lady cross the street.”

“Did he actually do that,” Takahashi asked? Kinji replied with a simple smile and a nod. “I see, you always were one to look up to the hero types Kinji.”

“Yeah I can see that,” Kinji said laughing.

“I never blamed you for leaving,” Takahashi said in seriousness. “Nor anyone else who left because of that bastard. I actually stayed for the same reason you left.”

“I understand,” Kinji said. “Thanks man, you know you’re the hero type too. All you wanted was to defend the old city.”

“Yeah, nice to know how that worked out at first,” Takahashi said solemnly. Kinji realized he had struck a nerve yet did not know how to apologize. “But there’s a new city to defend and fight for now. And there’s another duty; to keep the peace between species. Look up at the pile.”

Kinji did as told to see all the soldiers working together to find the missing computer system.

“After Fallen Day, beastman and humans were on the verge to being completely divided again. Hundreds of thousands of beastmen followed along with the Wild King yet so many wanted to stay. I want us all to keep getting along as much as our governor does.”

“Wait hold on,” Kinji said. “When did cross species relationships become so important to you?”

“Uh,” Takahashi said with a small blush. “That’s classified.”

“Well,” Kinji said with a skeptical eyebrow, “I hope you got a big enough eye to look after that much responsibility. But don’t carry it all by your lonesome. Loosen your weight to smile man. Even I know you can’t always be keeping focus on the job.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Takahashi grinned as he took another sip from his coffee and walked away. Kinji did not follow and allowed him to leave his side.

“Come on man,” he said silently. “You can’t always be this serious.”

Elsewhere in the scrap yard, Leiko was highly fascinated by all the old electronics as she examined the piles. After finding something that interested her, she would toss it over her shoulder into the kart. With each addition to her collection Taishi added the prices together on a handheld he had. 

“You sure you can afford this much Leiko,” Taishi asked? “I know you have a limo and butler but…”

“No worries,” Leiko said as she pulled out three rolls of cash from her purse in her finger gaps. Taishi’s eyes popped open and his jaw dropped near the floor. Bruce took it upon himself to close his mouth back up leaving Leiko to giggle.

“Maybe I should go ahead and ask,” Taishi said, “where do you get your money?”

“Actually, it’s a trust fund from Mo-Shogun Industries,” Leiko began explaining. “My dad’s the CEO of the whole shebang.”

“Seriously,” Taishi asked still being shocked? “That’s the company that opened back up ganmen production.”

“Yep,” Leiko continued, “names Leiko Jokin, top notch volunteer mechanic of Mo-Shogun Industries. It was actually discovered by my grandmother, Leyte Jokin. She was the head mechanical engineer for the first Team Dai-Gurren.” Taishi was still being surprised by the information he was given but stayed silent. “After the battle against the Anti-Spiral she started the new family business, which started out as a simple auto shop.

“But since the military stuck to the grapearls, the ganmen she made were purposed for civilian purposes like construction.”

“And after they started being stolen and used for criminal activity,” Taishi chimed in, “you guys got a military contract.”

“That’s about right,” Leiko said. “And even without drills the new ganmen were more in touch with spiral power than grapearls. But the grapearls stayed while Mo-Shogun Industries made military grade ganmen for specially selected soldiers.”

“Sounds like a sweet deal,” Taishi said. “Is that how you know Captain Takahashi? Does he have a custom ganmen too?” Leiko stood up and zipped her smile to him. “Oh, come on I thought we were bonding!”

Leiko giggled and continued browsing and shopping. But then an epiphany came to her attention.

“Hey Taishi,” Leiko said looking back at him. “Didn’t you say back in town that you saved and stored the data on Godenn’s old computer?”

“Oh, that’s right I forgot,” Taishi freaked. “The original data I could scavenge is on a flash drive!” He then started running off but then in place to continue talking to them. “There’s not much on it but I should grab it and hand it over to Takahashi! Can you handle yourself here till I get back?”

“Of course,” Leiko said with a smile again. “I’m only shopping.”

“Indeed sir,” Bruce chimed in. “You’ve provided us with excellent customer service. We’ll look for you when Ms. Leiko is ready to check out.” And Taishi smiled and ran off.

The young Junker ran until he arrived at a tool shed. He opened it with ease to a small bedroom. There were no windows; the only light inside was a single light bulb Taishi activated. It had illuminated on only a bed, plus a desk and chair. Taishi sat in the chair and pulled out a drawer with miscellaneous items in it and pulled out a flash drive.

He opened up a closed laptop on the desk and plugged the flash drive inside.

“As I thought,” Taishi examined, “all I found was the weapon system. But it’s still worth giving to Takahashi for info.” He unplugged the stick and pocketed it, closed and picked up the laptop, closed the shed and ran again. Running distance was much longer as when he stopped to catch his breath on his knees reaching Takahashi.

“Hey Captain,” Taishi said still breathing heavy.

“What’s the rush kid,” Takahashi asked?

“I forgot to mention,” Taishi said straightening up. “When I found Godenn I managed to find some data on its old computer. I saved it to this flash drive. There’s only the weapon system on it but I figured you could still use it.” And Taishi handed the data stick over to Takahashi.

“That’s perfect thank you,” the captain said taking the stick. “Even if we don’t find the original computer system, our computer specialists might find more on the info downloaded.”

“Excellent,” Taishi said with fully recovered air.

“Sir,” said a beastmen soldier also running up to Takahashi. “We’ve detected on radar a crowd of land dai-guns heading directly to this facility.”

‘Customers,’ Taishi thought? ‘Maybe the boss underestimated our clientele.’

“What are the classifications,” Takahashi asked the soldier?

“All three of them are carriers sir,” the soldier answered.

“Are they within communication range,” Takahashi asked?

“Yes sir,” the soldier said. “The lieutenant attempted contact to ward them off, but we received no response.”

“And how soon will they set foot on the…” before Takahashi finished, enormous footsteps shook the earth. Shaking was momentary but some of the soldiers fell off the mountain pile. “Perimeter.”

“What the heck was that,” Leiko said standing back up and running to the front.

Bruce was about to follow but turned around to see the shopping kart was spilled.

“I shall catch up with you in a moment miss Leiko.” And he began cleaning up the spilled mess.

Outside the gate were the three mentioned dai-guns; none of the three had any coats of paint and were rather rustic. An intercom from the lead ship screeched and a scratchy voice was heard.

“Attention New Gurren military forces, you are harboring two ganmen wanted by the Beasterra government. We ask that you please surrender them immediately.”

“Bounty hunters,” Taishi began, “are looking for Godenn?”

“And my Mullet,” Leiko said coming up.

“Those soldiers you two defeated must’ve reported in,” Takahashi said standing back up. “And posted a bounty on your ganmen. But how did they find you so sudden after its post?”

“Well,” Taishi began nervously. “We might provide our services and products to some rather shady people.” They looked at him cynically as he smiled with guilt and shook his head and made a focused face. “But to hell if they think they’re getting their hands on my ganmen!” But before he could press the button on his watch Takahashi grabbed his wrist. “Hey what are you…”

“Sorry but this is no longer a matter that I can allow civilians to solve,” Takahashi said. “Since both your ganmen are in military custody, they can’t be released until proper authorization.

“Sir,” said the soldier that reported the dai-guns, “how do you wish to solve this matter?”

“Make certain everyone on that pile is unharmed and continues his or her assignment. Then prepare my Shinkoku,” Takahashi answered. “But do not deploy it until my signal.”

“Yes sir,” the soldier said as he took out a communication device and they both walked away.

“What are we supposed to do,” Taishi asked?

“What I usually like to do,” said Kinji walking up to him and Leiko with a smile. “Enjoy the show.”

Takahashi made it to the end of his ships landing strip to speak into a microphone for his intercom system.

“This is Captain Takahashi of the New Gurren Military. I’m afraid we cannot grant your request. The ganmen in question are of greater importance than currency. Stand down and leave this place of business.”

His command did nothing to have the three ships to turn away and leave.

“Yeah, we’re not gonna do that,” said the lead bounty hunter. “Bounty hunters gotta eat. And aside from actual grub, my men are hungry for battle and thirsty for blood.”

“Alright then,” Takahashi said and simply tossed away the mic. First, he snapped his fingers. And while turning and walking down the strip, his ship opened its bay doors. Coming out was a ganmen kneeling down on a trailer. As it came into the light, Taishi was amazed at its shinning polish and coloring.

It stood up automatically to reveal the serious white face on the body. Above the face torso was a faceless head with a smooth red hood that led down the back with another face on it. Supporting the mecha to stand were two blue legs matching the arms. The ganmens primary weapon seemed to be a pistol carried in its thigh holster.

“So cool,” Taishi said with stars in his widened eyes.

The ganmens front face opened and a cable lowered from its bottom teeth to Takahashi. He placed his foot on a small pedal on the end of the wire and then held onto it as it rose and took him up and he climbed in the mech. The mouth hatch closed, and Takahashi sat down and took the controls.

“This is your final warning,” Takahashi’s voice came from his ganmen.

“What good is one ganmen, against these,” the lead voice laughed? All three old ships opened their bay doors and old ganmen swarmed the landing strips.

“There’s certainly a way to find out,” Takahashi said.

“Destroy him,” shouted the voice. “And turn this junkyard upside down and inside out until you find those ganmen!”

The first line of ganmen leaped to reach the New Gurren ship. But the Shinkoku quickly drew its pistol and shot them all down. The dead machines flopped onto the airstrip they charged at. The other ganmen in the swarm stood dumbfounded at what happened.

“Care to try again,” Takahashi asked?

Taking the challenge all the ganmen charged and leaped into a giant wave across the gap between the rustic and newer dai-guns. Shinkoku re-holstered its firearm and jumped at them in retaliation. The red face on its back opened its mouth fire erupted from it and its eyes. Accelerating, the ganmen rocketed at the hoard of enemies. Once in range, Shinkoku did a spin kick, taking out a small group of the wave.

Then with several more melee attacks, the red, white and blue mech cut through the enemies, one to five at a time. The army was now split down the middle in the air. Shinkoku landed on the bounty hunter ship in the middle as most of the ganmen he fought barely made it to his. The ones he took out as well as half of the mechs that he had yet to even touch plummeted to the ground. As a domino effect, an after shock was spread across the junkyard.

All the piles in the ganmen section collapsed and most of the soldiers fell from the pile they were searching.

“Damn,” Takahashi said, “I’m being too careless.” The then turned on the communications link. “Lieutenant, I’m changing my orders, get the men away from anything that they can fall from or can fall on them. Turns out, this battle’s going to be shakier than I anticipated.”

“Yes sir,” the lieutenant said. He carried out his orders and secured the safety of his fellow soldiers. But while one beastman soldier was being pulled out of the rubble, they noticed something from the hole they were in. The light shinning outside revealed within the hole a cracked yellow lens.

“Takahashi’s ganmen is awesome,” Taishi said.

“Yeah his Shinkoku is one of my dads best work,” Leiko said.

“Really your dad made that,” Taishi asked?

“That’s right,” Leiko said with a wink. “And wait until you see what else the face on his back can do.”

“Alright, change of plans men,” said the leader of the bounty hunters. “Take the enemy ship and hold the crew hostage!”

“Yes sir,” the remains of the ganmen army shouted.

“Screw that,” Takahashi shouted then turned back around to his ship. The edges of the Shinkokus red face latched off and the mech grabbed hold. Like a Frisbee, Takahashi spun and threw the face at the army. As a perfect circle, the face cleaved through the sides of a dozen ganmen in the back of the group. The spinning face returned and latched back on the back of its source.

The defeated ganmen exploded and knocked the rest off of the ship.

“Holy crap,” Taishi said.

“Any damage to the ship,” Takahashi asked through the radio?

“Only some char sir,” asked a soldier on the ship.

“Good,” Takahashi relieved. “Now then…” As his Shinkoku turned around, it was punched in the side of the head. “Gah!” But with a quick recovery, Shinkoku managed to back flip and land kneeling. Looking up he saw its attacker and two other mecha.

On the left was a skinny bipedal mech with long blades reaching down from its wrists and three horns sticking tall out its brow. Both its head and face body had a pair of sunglasses. To the right was another skinny mecha but with no legs and around its waist was an engine protrusion designed like a skirt. On its back was a giant pair of demonic wings and its fingertips had two feet long claws. And it had the same head and face body as the one on the left.

In the middle the last mech too had sunglasses on its head and face body and all four limbs were a massive bulk. All three were colored black and silver.

“Wait a sec…” Taishi began, “aren’t those…”

“Grapearls,” Leiko called out. “They’ve been heavily upgraded, but how did they get those?”

“The New Gurren military’s security system is top of the line,” Takahashi explained. “It’s impossible for anyone to break into our armories. So, there’s only one other way you could’ve gotten those Grapearls. You took their remains from a battle field. You’ve stolen from our fallen soldiers; I’ll make you pay!”

“You’ll die trying,” cried the pilot of the middle grapearl. It was recognized as the voice leading from inside the middle dai-gun. He charged at Takahashi throwing a punch at him. But Shinkoku leaned away from the fist and wrapped its arms around the enemy’s bulking arm. The ganmen pulled it up and over to crash it on its back.

The grapearl with the blades dashed in thrusting its wrist blades at Shinkoku. But its back face opened and transformed into a shield, blocking the attack. Shinkoku raised the shield overhead and hammered it onto the bulked out Grapearl. Then the ganmen swung it around and threw it at the bladed Grapearl. It blocked the shield holding its blades up, then spread them apart for the shield to fall.

“Swords beat shield,” the pilot shouted leaping with another blade thrust.

Shinkoku pulled out its pistol and shot the Grapearl in the face.

“Gun to a knife fight,” Takahashi said holstering the pistol. He bent over to pick up his shield but paused halfway down once he heard a rocket engine. The flying Grapearl swooped in to pick Shinkoku off the dai-gun.

“Let’s take this to the sky,” cried the flyer pilot. Pulling up they shot straight towards the sky leaving behind a trail of smoke. Shinkoku tried pushing away, pressing against the enemy’s shoulders. “Don’t even think about it!” The Grapearl began digging its claws into Shinkoku’s back.

The wall behind Takahashi began to be punctured with easy notice. He ceased pushing against the Grapearl. Bending its wings, the Grapearl swooped backwards and began diving heads first back to the dai-guns.

“Two can play that game,” Takahashi shouted. Shinkoku leveled his hands next to his thighs ejecting sockets, each holding a hunting knife. The ganmen grabbed the knives and raised them overhead. With the first knife he slashed off on of its wings causing them to spiral as they descended.

“What do you think you’re doing,” asked the pilot? And with the second knife, Shinkoku pounded the blade into the Grapearls back and quickly pulled it back out. Now with no restraint against him, Shinkoku pushed itself out of the grapearls arms and flipped onto its back. They finally crash landed on the middle bounty hunter dai-gun, with Shinkoku standing on the first downed Grapearl.

“Next,” asked Takahashi as his ganmen stepped off its foe and bared its knives.

“Whoa,” Taishi expressed with stars in his eyes.

“You bastard,” the pilot of the bladed Grapearl charged. Shinkoku parried the first swing with its knife, then tried stabbing the Grapearl with the other. However, the Grapearl parried the knife and tried another swing, only to be parried again. The attacks and defenses repeated over and over as both their arms began to move with rapid speed. During this ceaseless battling exchange, the massive limb grapearl stomped forward from behind its remaining partner.

After one last step, it leaped over both mecha and landed behind Shinkoku.

“Oh no,” Takahashi said.

The heaviest enemy spun around with its arm stretched out and knocked Shinkoku away from its fight and flew over the gap between one of the dai-guns. The ganmen had dropped one of its knives on impact, but with the one it was able to keep impaled the airstrip it was spiraling over. It was able to slow down until its feet were back on the ground. Takahashi took on heavy breathing as he looked to the grapearls running across their airstrip towards him.

Being the lightest, the bladed grapearl was ahead of its leader. 

“Now to finish this,” the pilot of the blade grapearl shouted.

“Couldn’t agree more,” Takahashi growled. His Shinkoku pulled its knife out and ran to the end of the airstrip and jumped to his own dai-gun. Finally, Shinkoku was able to pick up it shield. The enemy jumped over to his ship as he turned around, with the blade grapearl ahead mid-air. Takahashi roared as he toss-spun his shield over to the middle enemy ship.

Bouncing off, it flew at the blade grapearl and instantly sliced through its waist. The edge of the shield sprang out a rocket attachment, its ignition changed its rotation as it flew back to Shinkoku’s hand as the blade grapearl detonated. The explosion sent the last grapearl back on its air strip.

“No way,” the pilot yelled. After the flame and smoke dispersed into nothing, Shinkoku was seen starring straight at the bounty hunter.

“This is your final warning,” Takahashi said, “leave now and I’ll let you live. And deliver this message; Don’t mess with us, The New Gurren Military!”

“Shut up,” shouted the bounty hunter with its grapearl standing. Barrels emerged from multiple parts of is body and hundreds of missiles were shot at Shinkoku. Raising its shield, the ganmen took in each explosion as its pilot growled. Once the barrage could no longer be felt, Shinkoku waved his shield to fan away the smoke. Once cleared, the grapearl was nowhere in sight.

“Where’d he go,” Kinji asked? The answer came as a shadow over Shinkoku as the grapearl double hammer fisted him from behind. Takahashi responded almost perfectly when he raised his shield from the attack. The grapearl pressed down on the shield with its two fists, breaking the ground beneath Shinkoku’s feet as Takahashi stood his ground.

“You bastard,” the bounty hunter shouted as he raised one fist to hammer the shield again. “I’m going to rip you out of that ganmen!” He smashed the shield again with the next hand. “And then I’m going to turn you in to the Wild King along with those two ganmen.” He struck again with another hammer fist.

“And for your sake,” another hammer fist strike, “he’d better throw in compensation for all you’ve cost me!” He struck him with hammer fist after hammer fist repetitively. For one last blow, he brought his giant fists together and slammed down on the shield and sent Shinkoku through the ground.

“Captain,” cried one of his troops.

“Takahashi,” Kinji cried.

The bounty hunter laughed as he stood up and relaxed his grapearls’ arms. But when he walked over to the hole, he leaned over to see his fallen adversary and saw nothing but the next floor.

“Huh,” he asked? “Where’d he go?” A ding was heard from behind and the bay door opened for an unscathed Shinkoku. “How did you…?”

“It’s my ship dumbass,” Takahashi mocked. “And speaking of which, I’d like you off of it.” With one hand he held his shield out to the enemy as he took his handgun and interlocked it with a hole above the handle. The eyes on the shield’s face glowed red as its mouth opened wide and glowed red inside also.

“You can’t scare me,” the bounty hunter yelled and charged his grapearl at Shinkoku. With his ganman’s thumb, Takahashi pulled down the hammer to cock the gun.

“Scaring you isn’t the idea,” Takahashi said. The red lights radiated brilliantly. “Ultimate Defense; Final Barrel!” And after pulling the trigger, a giant beam of red energy, was unleashed from the shield. It impacted the grapearls face and pushed it back, bringing a scream out of the pilot.

After a moment, the last grapearl was enveloped by the red attack ray. The pilot’s scream grew louder and louder as his machine was slowly incinerated with him. No trace was left as the laser reached its end and Shinkoku stood up separating his gun and shield.

“Whoa,” Taishi said with stars in his eyes. “So cool.”

“One of my dad’s great masterpieces,” Leiko smirked.

After Takahashi docked his ganmen back inside his ship, he rejoined his troops on solid ground.

“That was awesome,” Taishi ran up to Takahashi with stars in his eyes. “Captain Takahashi, you were awesome out there!”

“Thanks kid,” Takahashi appreciated with a calm smile.

“I’m serious,” Taishi raised his exciting voice, “your ganmen kicks so much butt! And when the face on its back turned into a shield, it was like…”

“What the hell’s going on out here,” Taishi’s boss interrupted?

“Oh great,” Taishi immediately sulked.

“Taishi,” the boss called out, “what have you been doing now?”

“He just automatically assumes it was you,” Takahashi asks?

“That’s right,” Taishi answers.

“Well, no worries,” Takahashi smiled and began walking around. “Just let me…”

“Thanks, but no thanks sir,” Taishi blocked his bath with his arm. “Even if it was your fight, I still brought it here. Anyway, he never really says anything that matters that much.”

And so Taishi took his steps to an undeserving lecture. As the boy walked, Takahashi was surprised at first but smiled at his back.

“That young,” Takahashi said, “and that responsible.”

“Captain,” called a running soldier. After approaching, the soldier stopped to salute Takahashi, Taishi stopped walking towards his horrible boss taking notice.

“At ease and report,” Takahashi ordered.

“Sir,” the soldier began, “your battle caused some of the scrap piles to collapse.”

“Casualties,” Takahashi asked?

“Minimum sir,” the soldier continued. ”But the good news is from one of the collapsed piles, we believe we found what we’ve been looking for.”

Takahashi followed, who was followed by Taishi, who was followed by his annoyed and ignored boss, who was followed by Kinji, Leiko and Bruce. They arrived and looked down at the supersized disembodied head. The majority of its outer shell was gone, all that remained was its one yellow lensed eye and a black crown frame surrounding the open cockpit.

“So, is this it Taishi,” Takahashi asked him?

“This is it,” Taishi answered.

“Alright,” Takahashi yelled, “bag it up and get ready for transport!”

“Yes sir,” all soldiers acknowledged.

“Hey, you two,” Takahashi spoke to Taishi and Kinji, “I know you guys have been through a lot these last three days, but I need you to come with us to base. We’ll need you guys to fill out your statements for evidence in my report.”

“No problem buddy,” Kinji smiled.

“New Gurren City,” Taishi asked? “We’re going to New Gurren City? What are we waiting for?”

“How about for hell to freeze over,” their boss shouted, making Taishi mope again. “Government official or not, you’re not taking my employees away, especially since they owe me money!”

With a blank face, Takahashi kept his bored eyes at the business man and pointed over the scrapyards wall. The boss looked in the gestured direction and was stunned at the sight of the three new dai-guns.

“Would those ships, and the three dozen ganmen piled up outside be enough to clear their debts,” Takahashi asked? “And to buy them off from you?”

“Well…” the boss began, “Kinji I guess…” And his highest employee raised his arms in disbelief and irritation. “But for Kinji… the truth is I’m actually…”

“Forget it,” Taishi interrupted. All looked to him to see his aggravated scowling. “I’m going with them. I’ve waited for eight years. At this point and with this opportunity, I’m done waiting any longer.”

The boss and Kinji frowned at his words with feelings they knew of, while their surrounding company were confused in the mystery.

“Fine,” the boss sighed, “they’re both all yours.” The boss walked away and with him gone, Taishi dropped his anger with a deep breath for a bright smile.

“This is awesome,” Taishi squealed, “we’re going to New Gurren City!”

“Yeah well,” Kinji smiled rubbing the back of his head, “you better start doing everything I say when we get there.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Taishi teased. As they got along in their shared excitement, their friends were more confused than ever.

“Huh,” they said?


End file.
